Hardly anyone in Hollywood saw this global pandemic coming. Not even the individuals whose jobs it was to assess risk
has been moved to November. And suddenly, it’s not inconceivable that sports arenas and stadiums will remain largely empty for months and perhaps longer in what potentially could be a great blow to television broadcasters, even as potential consumption of in-home entertainment could spike thanks to all those people self-quarantining. But even a comprehensive list of all events that have been nixed undersells the scope of a devastating disruption that will be felt for years to come.
In other words, unless government steps in and bars large gatherings or sets up a containment area that makes travel impossible or orders people to stay indoors , event organizers can't assume they'll recover losses. Accordingly, despite growing calls on social media and elsewhere to proactively take steps that could head off community spread of the virus, many event organizers are waiting for a triggering event under their insurance policies.
Entertainment executives are now swamping insurance attorneys with requests to review policies in light of everything occurring on the coronavirus front and advise about what to do. Unfortunately, ambiguity reigns. For example, if New York City decided to stop people from using its subway system, Broadway producers may see that as something done beyond their control that makes cancellation of shows necessary. But insurers could disagree.
And what about those "force majeure" provisions covering disruptions due to acts of God? Well, there's mixed opinion on whether those apply to a virus. Some lawyers expect this area to be hotly litigated. At the moment, though, the best that any entertainment producer can do is to consult attorneys and insurers on mitigation. No surprise then that some events are being postponed while other events could happen without live attendance. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James might not like the idea of playing basketball with no fans around, but the alternative may not be cancellation but rather the status quo, that is, until the government does something that makes hosting a game out of the question.
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