The global COVID-19 crisis has caused the halt of all live sporting events. So as fans spend time stuck at home and deprived of trips to the stadium, sports teams and committees have come up with creative ways to keep the passion going.
Searching for a sense of normality in troubled times, fans have turned to comforting trips down memory lane. For English football fans, Premier League teams have been keeping their supporters entertained by turning back the clock.
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Many teams have posted entire matches from the past on their websites and YouTube channels, along with individual players’ best moments. As part of their Cityzens at Home campaign to encourage supporters to respect lockdown rules, Manchester City have been tweeting clips from their iconic victories.
Meanwhile, the BBC will be showing the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics alongside highlights from the rest of the London Games and Rio 2016, replacing coverage of what should have been Tokyo 2020, in July. Similarly, the void left by Euro 2020 will be filled with matches from Euro 96. Additionally, classic Wimbledon contests will be screened in July, which is normally dominated by the tennis season.
“In these unprecedented and difficult times we are delighted to bring some of the most incredible sporting events from years gone by to our audiences,” said the BBC’s director of sport Barbara Slater.
Next, Formula 1 fans have also seen the favourite cars disappear from race tracks. However, you’ll be glad to know that Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary promises to make up for the lack of race day. The two season show offers fantastic insights into the paddocks, including interviews with team leaders and drivers, filled with the thrills and pressures of surviving a multi-million dollar sport.
In the United States of America, basketball fans have been successful to get ESPN to bring forward its much anticipated Michael Jordan documentary series, The Last Dance. Initially due to be released in June, the series is now available on Netflix.
Jordan, who is widely regarded as the NBA’s best-ever player, said the first two episodes, which focused on his final title-winning season with the Chicago Bulls, were the most-watched documentary content in ESPN’s history, with an average of 6.1 million viewers.
Source: AFP Relaxnews