The world is changing. In response to a global pandemic, everything is different than it was a few weeks ago, for every family, every industry and pretty much every country. The entertainment industry is no exception. Until a vaccine becomes available, every aspect of the entertainment industry is facing a new reality.
Sports
For many Americans, the coronavirus outbreak took on a new level of seriousness when the NBA suspended its 2020 season. It’s clearly a crisis when a billion-dollar industry is closing down its primary way to turn a profit.
For the foreseeable future, sporting events of all kinds are on hold around the world. The Olympics, Wimbledon, and most recently UFC 249 are all canceled or postponed due to concerns about COVID-19.
Even when the world starts moving again, it’s likely that major arenas packed with fans won’t be possible or safe for a long while. At least until there is a vaccine for COVID-19. An ESPN poll said that a majority of fans would not attend games until there’s a vaccine.
This doesn’t mean that sports are on hold until doctors find a way to immunize the population. It just means that while sports may return, they’ll have to be enjoyed by fans virtually.
Movies
Movie theaters are struggling amidst the coronavirus outbreak. AMC Theaters, the largest movie theater chain in the United States, is facing serious financial issues after they were forced to close because of the pandemic.
For now, that means people have to stream movies at home. Like sports games, it’s unlikely that movie fans will be able to gather in large numbers in enclosed spaces until there is a vaccine. Coronavirus has made the movie industry all about streaming.
The problem is, the world is already hurtling towards streaming-based entertainment. Coronavirus is just speeding up an already inevitable transfer away from movie theaters. It’s sad for many old-fashioned movie-goers, but it’s entirely possible that movie theaters will never fully recover from this, even if we find a vaccine.
It’s not just theaters that are having issues because of COVID-19. Dozens of movie premiers are being pushed back, costing studios a boatload of money. Without a vaccine, it’s unsafe for actors to be on set, and for the rest of the crew to work, so production companies have no choice but to shut it down. Which means we might have a very dry 2020 when it comes to new movies.
TV
The same thing is happening with TV. Production companies are shutting down filming of shows all over the place, meaning we’re all going to have to wait on seeing some of our favorite characters on the silver screen.
The good news is, there’s always streaming. With millions of people staying home, streaming numbers are rocketing up. Streaming was the new normal even before the coronavirus, but with the outbreak raging, it’s become an even more essential part of the entertainment world. We can expect to see this continue even after a vaccine is developed.
Music
Like every aspect of the entertainment industry, the music industry is facing major changes because of COVID-19. Music festivals are pretty much all on hold along with any concert tours for the foreseeable future. Until there is a vaccine, all of these events are going to stay on hold.
In lieu of live events, musicians are increasingly taking to Instagram Live to share their talents with the community. Like every other form of entertainment, music is going increasingly virtual. It’s a change that’s going to stay necessary until there is a vaccine for COVID-19.
