Coronavirus & Sports Update: A Comprehensive Look at the Returning Live Sports Calendar By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor Friday, May 8, 2020 - 11:20 am
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In light of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all pro and college sports leagues have postponed or canceled seasons and events. However, many are now restarting events without spectators. SVG is posting a regularly updated list of announcements from pro leagues regarding postponed, canceled, and rescheduled events. Below are further announcements this week. Click Here for previous Sports & Coronavirus Update installments and stay tuned to sportsvideo.org for more information on how the pandemic is impacting the sports-production industry.
May 8: Tennis Channel Serves Up UTR Pro Match Series This Weekend
Universal Tennis' UTR Pro Match Series Presented by Tennis Channel begins this weekend featuring top ATP and WTA players in tournament play. The UTR Pro Match Series presented by Tennis Channel will be broadcast live on Tennis Channel and will be the first top tier professional tennis events televised internationally since the global health crisis put a halt to tennis in March. The first event of the series will be held May 8-10 with a four-player men's round-robin event beginning at 12:00 noon ET each day with 3 hours of live coverage. All matches will be held at a private court in the West Palm Beach, FL, area with no spectators or public access. These are the first two events in what will be a continuing US and international series. UTR is partnering with others around the world to deliver UTR Pro Match Series events for players according to local guidelines as restrictions are lifted.
May 9: UFC Enters the Octagon with UFC 249 in Jacksonville
UFC returns tomorrow night with UFC 249 featuring No. 1 ranked lightweight contender Tony Ferguson and No. 4 ranked Justin Gaethje battle for the interim championship. In the co-main event, Henry Cejudo takes on Dominick Cruz. This will be the first of three events taking place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on May 9, 13 and 16 respectively, future cards will be announced at a later date. These events will be closed to the public and will be produced with only essential personnel in attendance. All prelim bouts will be simulcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN in English and Spanish beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with the UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN & ESPN 8 p.m. ET and the ESPN Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET.
May 16: Bundesliga Returns to the Pitch
Bundesliga will restart the 2019-2020 season on May 16. The DFL is thus guided by the wording of the decision of the federal and state governments that from the second half of May a return of the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga is acceptable. The season continues with the 26th matchday, the other matchdays follow in the order originally planned. It is planned that the last match day of the Bundesliga will be played on June 27, 2020. Since an adjustment of the general schedule is necessary for the scheduling of the match days up to the end of the season, there are currently final coordination talks with the German Football Federation (DFB).
May 17: NASCAR To Return at Darlington Raceway
NASCAR will return to racing on May 17, which will kick off a slate of races that includes seven events in three series at two race tracks - Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will each host its first on-track event since mid-March. The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, with a 400-mile event scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, live on Fox, FoxDeportes, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. What follows is a unique schedule that includes midweek races in primetime and a NASCAR crown jewel - the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season. Each of NASCAR's return events will be run without fans in attendance. Further schedule adjustments will be announced in the future.
May 17: NBC Sports Brings Back Televised Golf With TaylorMade Driving Relief
The PGA TOUR, NBC Sports, and Sky Sports will return to televised golf with TaylorMade Driving Relief, centered around a $3 million charity skins match supported by UnitedHealth Group to raise money and awareness for the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation, two organizations helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts. On Sunday, May 17, from Seminole Golf Club, TaylorMade Driving Relief will feature two-time FedExCup champion and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Dustin Johnson, teaming up against two Oklahoma State University alumni: PGA TOUR superstar Rickie Fowler and 2019 first-time TOUR winner and 2019 NCAA National Champion Matthew Wolff. The competition will follow strict CDC social distancing guidelines, local mandates, and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site.
May 24: Tiger and Phil Join Brady and Peyton for The Match: Champions for Charity
The following weekend, Turner Sports will present Capital One's The Match: Champions for Charity, headlined by golf icons Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson returning for a rematch, this time joined by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The premier sports event - simulcast exclusively on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN - will be held Sunday, May 24, at 3 p.m. ET, with pre-match coverage available in the Bleacher Report app. Associated with the live telecast, WarnerMedia and the golfers will collectively make a charitable donation of $10 million to benefit COVID-19 relief. As part of the fundraising efforts, the compe
