Obviously COVID-19 has put a stop to large gatherings of people, and this has also meant that for now, all major sports events have been cancelled. Originally some of the sports were playing played behind closed doors without spectators, but now all sports have either cancelled their competitions or suspended them indefinitely.
The sports broadcasting industry is worth a staggering amount of money and obviously it has been completely turned upside down by the current situation. The vast majority of people who pay subscriptions to sports broadcasting services, do so to see live sport. As of right now – there is none.
Sports broadcasting services such as DAZN and Canal+ have informed rights holders that they will not be paying fees for any content that has not yet been delivered. The two main British sports broadcasting channels Sky Sports and BT Sport are both losing large numbers of subscribers with no live sports to show. There is also concern in these companies as to how many of those customers will return when play eventually resumes, with a smaller subscriber base likely resulting in reduced bids for future rights cycles.
It is certainly something that could have a lasting effect on the sports broadcasting industry for years to come.
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/dazn-tv-rights-payments-coronavirus
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/canal-ligue-1-france-tv-rights-payment-report