SVG Sit-Down: BHV's Chris Bevilacqua on the Potential Impact of Coronavirus on Sports-Media Rights Landscape The sports industry has prioritized public health over their own commercial self-interest' By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Monday, March 30, 2020 - 3:25 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the sports world to a halt, questions about the long-term impact on the sports-media industry are still to be answered. To provide insight into what the coming months and years may hold for the business, SVG is sitting down with several top sports-media executives and veterans to share their thoughts on the current situation.
Over the past 30 years, Chris Bevilacqua has established himself as a leader in the sports and media business. As co-founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures (BHV), he has consulted on a slew of record-breaking sports-media rights deals. In addition, he was architect of the Pac-12 Conference media strategy and helped to launch Pac-12 Networks. He also pioneered other college-specific channels, including CSTV (the first-ever 24-hour cable network dedicated to college sports) and the MountainWest Sports Network. Prior to these efforts, Bevilacqua was chairman and CEO of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Sports Media Ventures, serving as a media-rights advisor for several sports and entertainment entities.
Chris Bevilacqua: All these loyal, passionate audiences who are being deprived of their passion over a fairly lengthy period will have some pent-up excitement.
SVG sat down with Bevilacqua late last week to discuss the short- and long-term impact of coronavirus on the industry, how he sees future rights deals playing out, and what the future holds for college sports and regional sports networks.
How do you see the coronavirus pandemic affecting the sports-media business over the next six-12 months?
The immediate impact is obviously not good. Many industries are just shut down, including sports. But the good thing is, I think everybody in the sports industry has prioritized public health over their own commercial self-interest. This industry's doing everything it can do to protect fans, athletes, and employees and worrying about the commercial fallout afterwards.
That said, obviously, if you're not staging events and games, you're not collecting revenue from ticket sales, sponsorship, and media [rights], and that's a substantial lost commercial opportunity. I think we're going to have a period of choppy waters - not for weeks but for months - where we don't know exactly how and when this is going to settle out. And there are a lot of things commercially that are going to be degraded between now and whenever that is. The question then becomes, when things are back up and running, can the economy come back? Do people have a job, and are they willing to go buy a ticket or merchandise like they had in the past?
I don't have a crystal ball, but I am a glass-half-full kind of guy. What I do know as it relates to the sports industry is that the partners on all sides have very solid relationships. In most cases, the owners of the major properties and their commercial partners have been partners for a long time, and, when everything settles out, they'll sit down as partners and work out what's in the best interest of everyone going forward.
In your experience, do major rights deals typically have an out clause for rightsholders if games aren't played?
It's not really one-size-fits-all. These are things that are typically very customized in terms of acts of God, natural disasters, and force majeure. Obviously, you have to address these sorts of unforeseeable events in any kind of a contractual commitment, especially when they are the size and scope of these big properties. And then, everybody has their own set of insurance policies as well, which will play a big role for both sides. In some cases, there's very specific language for loss of games or seasons, and sometimes there isn't. I think there will be a variety of factors coming together depending on the agreement, and it's certainly not going to be the same for everyone.
We have seen the value of live sports coverage skyrocket over the past three decades. Do you believe this situation will cause the sports-rights media bubble to pop?
No, I really don't think so. I think this is going to be a short-term issue - albeit a very painful short-term issue. But, when you start talking about the new cycle of rights, I think you're going to see the values continue to grow. First one up is the NFL, and they're gearing up [for negotiations] right now. Whatever happens, there will be a pretty good barometer of what's to come. An event like this is not going to change the demand for the NFL product over the next 10 years. I truly don't think it will have any meaningful commercial effect on valuable sports rights.
I think it is a unique, unforeseen event that won't change any of the major trends in media. Now, it may accelerate some of those trends. Obviously, there's already a transition going on from traditional media to digital, mobile, and OTT consumption of live sports. I think that will continue unabated. I think high-reach platforms like broadcast TV will still be incredibly important. And, even though cable TV is shrinking in terms of its reach, it is still very meaningful. So I don't see that changing dramatically in the next few years through this next cycle of rights.
Do you believe this situation will have an impact on the rise of legalized sports betting in the near term?
I think the market forces are going to accelerate sports gambling. There is going to be a big hole in local, state, and federal government budgets. And, with the interest in sports betting spreading
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...
12/05/2026
The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content
Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...
12/05/2026
Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM
Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...
12/05/2026
May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here
MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL
The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
SVG Sit-Down: BHV's Chris Bevilacqua on the Potential Impact of Coronavirus on Sports-Media Rights Landscape The sports industry has prioritized public health over their own commercial self-interest' By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor 
