Effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Entertainment & Tourism Industry

[PerceptiveCoot]

USF to be fair is also a lot of screens if she can’t do coasters... IOA is where she needs to visit. I feel it’s the best theme park in America personally but maybe I’m biased. I think other than a show it offers every single thing a theme park guest could want

Ah no, she can definitely do coasters. Her favorite ride is California Screamin'

 

[Mad Dog]

This is interesting about the tv rights. There was talk last year about the Premier League moving to an online streaming model. As it stands right now in the UK, you need two separate subscriptions to watch games and you maybe get 40% of the games live.

For the streaming model, all games would be shown and instead of paying about $80 a month, you'll pay $15 with the idea that more people will pay, the clubs will get a far better deal and money isn't wasted going to the broadcasters.

If games are going to happen behind closed doors, all games need to be shown live.

The model here is quite different. Most games of the professional leagues are shown on the four free commercial networks. The ones that aren't, are available through cable channels, access depending on your cable package. Streaming is, at this point in time, available, but revenue through streaming is quite minor compared to the the commercial and cable rights.

 

[Nick]

AMC likely to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Also likely to survive because the studios need them.


Another instance of a town using The Purge siren for curfew

 

[tielo]

Not sure if posted here but this is on the Team Members website for Universal Studios. It's the letter from Brian Roberts that is a great read.
UOTeam: Home

 

[MrRoamer]

As long as they make the first day back open a weekday, I don't think they will need to do much closing. As someone who lived thru 9/11 down here, which I think ultimately will be shown to have less of an effect, I don't expect full parks from get-go.

I think this is going to be a much longer stretch of going back to normalcy than 9/11 was. 9/11 was something that you could understand and see who the enemy was (leading to racism and misunderstanding of course), and the percentages were all incredibly low. This is an invisible unknown that could be anywhere. I don't expect people to quickly forget what has happened and the risk that could be there (real or not)

 

[Nick]

As long as they make the first day back open a weekday, I don't think they will need to do much closing. As someone who lived thru 9/11 down here, which I think ultimately will be shown to have less of an effect, I don't expect full parks from get-go.

I expect almost no one at the parks besides bloggers and some locals upon reopening. There's going to be virtually no one in the hotels so the parks are going to be empty and on top of that, I don't think they'll even be a desirable place to go for at least the first 3-6 months considering the crowds that are normally there and the expectation of the virus resurfacing in the fall.

I expect many attractions to run at limited capacity or to not be open at all (think Carousel of progress, Tiki Room, Country Bears, HoP, etc). A part of me wonders if Bourne opens to the public this year or not, too. They'll have to go through rehearsals again before they can even think of opening, but putting people in an enclosed preshow and theater like that would have to be done at at least half capacity. It's also an expensive show to run and if there's no one in the park...

 

[Andysol]

You would need 1,740 tests just to have all 30 teams play ONE GAME (The Utah Jazz tested 58 players & staff on the day the season got cancelled and that was considered the whole team).

Sports are a distraction, yes, but when we're low on tests already, doing that many tests per game day is absolutely unjustifiable when the only reason they would be getting the tests would be so you could be entertained. There's people out there very sick who are having a hard time getting a test still.

They tossed around the idea of playing at one arena to limit the amount of testing as well. But I agree, it wasn’t feasible.

Now by September? Entirely possible.

 

[fryoj]

German Bundesliga is scheduling practices soon and plans on restarting their schedule in May and finishing the remainder in June, with the caveat they'' play in empty stadiums. ....Most American sports revenues are from TV rights anyway.

The pro sports and 2 college sports are, but there are many more sports and arenas that don't ever see tv and depend on live audience. A perfect example is the baseball farm system. Virtually no revenue there from tv.

 

[GadgetGuru]

Sounds like Imagineering has been furloughed. Super sad.

 

[MrBlonde]

Sounds like Imagineering has been furloughed. Super sad.

Disney is really being short sighted with all of this. I hope Comcast is able to scoop some of them up for work on EU and maybe give them a run for their money.

 

[Grabnar]

Sounds like Imagineering has been furloughed. Super sad.

:bigeye:

WOW. This is such a boneheaded move. This would be the WFH crowd if I ever saw it. Have everyone take a few days to recharge and take a 3M approach and send in some blue sky ideas or some pet projects. This is borderline suicidal for a company that's reaching park capacity and needs to innovate.

 

[Mad Dog]

Could be Universal motto : 'Looking for a few good men', 'especially big indoor show writers'

 

[Nick]

TDL to remain closed until at least Mid-May:

 

[GhostHost85]

I understand having to furlough front line cast members, but there is no reason outside cost savings to furlough the imagineers. I know Disney is probably looking at whatever ways possible to cut costs now, but if they are even furloughing the imagineers than that gives me even less confidence that the parks will be open anytime in the next couple of months.

About future attractions getting delayed or cancelled, I am most worried with the Avengers E-Ticket in DCA. I was kind of surprised it got announced after Galaxy's Edge under performed on the West Coast, plus it already has the fact that it is a "phase 2" project going against it. I think it is the most likely ride to get totally cancelled. It is a shame since it is something that DCA desperately needs.

 

[Legacy]

Furloughing Imagineers is stunning. Companies will be racing hard and fast to scoop that talent up before Disney gets them back.

 

[tielo]

I don't get it. As a company you invested in people. They are what makes the thing more than concrete and rides, they are the lifeblood of your company.
Now it's like selling you attractions to anyone who wants them thinking you maybe buy them back when you open again. It's short sighted and disrespectful to your workforce. Is Disney in such a bad financial shape? I have so more respect for how Universal/Comcast is doing this.

 

[Disneyhead]

The fact that Disney has furloughed Imagineering is a big red flag. While Disney is a huge company with massive amounts of money flowing through it. They are also a company with huge CapEx going on. Along with a huge amount recently acquired debt with the FOX acquisition. ESPN was losing money before this happened. The Parks are bleeding money by being shuttered. And the Studios revenue stream dried up while sunk production costs stack up.

The most genius move by Bob Iger as CEO was deciding to cut and run when he did. I'm wondering if he got an honest heads up about what was coming from the Chinese Gov't.?

 

[Alicia]

The fact that Disney has furloughed Imagineering is a big red flag. While Disney is a huge company with massive amounts of money flowing through it. They are also a company with huge CapEx going on. Along with a huge amount recently acquired debt with the FOX acquisition. ESPN was losing money before this happened. The Parks are bleeding money by being shuttered. And the Studios revenue stream dried up while sunk production costs stack up.

The most genius move by Bob Iger as CEO was deciding to cut and run when he did. I'm wondering if he got an honest heads up about what was coming from the Chinese Gov't.?

Shanghai Disneyland had already been closed a month when he stepped down, losing money every day. No crystal ball needed.

 

[tielo]

Shanghai Disneyland had already been closed a month when he stepped down, losing money every day. No crystal ball needed.

So the captain has left the sinking ship first? I guess he watched Titanic and didn't like the outcome. Anyway disturbing news for all those people who are loosing their jobs.

 

[Alicia]

So the captain has left the sinking ship first? I guess he watched Titanic and didn't like the outcome. Anyway disturbing news for all those people who are loosing their jobs.

I don’t claim to know his reasoning. He’s almost stepped down a couple other times in years prior. But, if it was for reasons related to the virus, one park was already closed and I’m sure he knew others were likely about to be closing soon when he did.