For so long the entertainment industry has had a ‘predefined’ or rather an established way of doing things until recently when everything came to a standstill due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The wake of this global pandemic quickly paralyzed almost all aspects of our day to day life and the entertainment industry is certainly no exception. All forms of entertainment ranging from sports to the music industry, television as well as places such as amusement parks have been hit hard by the sudden changes that are a consequence of the novel coronavirus.
With the pandemic came the requirement of the enhancement of precautionary measures such as social distancing, proper sanitation, wearing of masks in public places and so forth. What this meant and still means particularly for the entertainment industry is difficulty in the continuance of the normal running of affairs. Consequently, a lot of changes have to be made if at all the entertainment industry is to survive this crisis that is as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
What then is going to change? Let us talk of sports first. The social distancing requirement makes it difficult to accommodate as many fans as a stadium would normally. A decrease in the number of fans would then mean a rise in the entry fees for various games so as to cater for all expenses and at the same time ensure that no losses are incurred. Another change in the sports sector is with the increased popularity of online gambling. With the closure of physical betting centers due to the difficulty in adherence to the social distancing rule, millions of recreational gamblers as well as bookmakers had to find a new place and this is where online casinos come in as a replacement. There are numerous online casino and gambling sites that continue to provide well-known gambling experience, while land based casinos continue to stay closed in most parts of the world.
Music industry as an example of flexible but vulnerable industry
The music industry is another sector of the entertainment industry that has and still will undergo a myriad of changes if the pandemic is to go on for long. The social distancing requirement proves it difficult for live concerts and performances to be carried out. A number of artists have consequently taken to online platforms for concerts and performances and let’s face it, they still are not able to make as much as they would if these performances were to a live audience.
Production is yet another sector where changes have and will still take place. Massive changes are for sure expected in onset production whose typical characterization is a full house crowded with all sorts of persons from the directors to the actors and actresses as well as other staff such as makeup artists. Live audiences may be dropped in some shows and all this is due to the impossibility of enhancing the social distancing requirement. The release dates of some of the most awaited movies and series will definitely have to be pushed to further dates because there is no ongoing shooting as of now. What then does this mean for other entertainment sectors and particularly the theater?
With the delay in production for some of the most awaited movies and series theater lovers will definitely have to wait much longer than anticipated for the premier of said works. Other than that, the social distancing rule means that theaters will accommodate a much less audience than usual meaning that ticket prices will skyrocket if these theaters are to run on no loss.
Entertainment business will have to change and adapt
Another sector of the entertainment industry worth looking into is places like amusement parks whose sole drive is large numbers of people. If such places are to get through this at all then they have to figure out a way in which the precautionary measures against COVID- 19 can be adhered to. Standup comedy cannot go unmentioned. For this comedy to thrive, a live audience is vital and so a way has to be found for social distancing and other precautions against coronavirus to be enhanced.
There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll in almost all sectors of the economy, and even the production of gadgets and smartphone technology is suffering because of Chinese factories still recovering from early pandemic influences. The whole industry has experienced its fair share and this has required making changes that will be seen through this global crisis.