'Return to Sports': How the industry can survive and adapt in a post-pandemic world

MIT Sloan Office of Communications

May 26, 2020

View more installments of the MIT Sloan Experts Series

The MIT Sloan Experts Series

This three-part installment of the MIT Sloan Experts Series features conversations about how the sports industry can survive and adapt in a post-pandemic world. Our guest is Ben Shields, Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School, former ESPN executive, and the author of The Sports Strategist and The Elusive Fan, among others. He will discuss the implications of the COVID-19 health crisis for teams, leagues, players and fans.

Pat Symonds, Formula 1’s Chief Technical Officer, appears on the program to talk about the status of F1’s season and how the racing industry plans to move forward. He will also discuss Project Pitlane, an industry-wide effort to manufacture and deliver respiratory devices to help treat COVID-19 patients.

Christina Chase, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the MIT Sports Lab and Lecturer in MIT's School of Engineering, will weigh in on the state of player training and the ways in which teams are using technology to get athletes into game shape.

For more installments of the MIT Sloan Experts Series, visit the MIT Sloan Experts Series playlist on the MIT Sloan YouTube channel.

View a recap of the #MITSloanExperts Twitter chat with Ben Shields from June 23, 2020

Ben Shields (@BenRyanShields) explored the long-term impacts the coronavirus pandemic will have on sports and how the industry can be a part of the solution to COVID-19. During the chat, he answered critical questions the sports industry is facing, such as what COVID-19’s impact will be on the business side of the industry, how it will affect players and teams, and what this all means for fans.

Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) joined as host. Edes is a strategic communications advisor and Red Sox historian for the Fenway Sports Group. He was a sports writer for 35 years for The Boston Globe, ESPN Boston, and many other prominent outlets.

To learn more about how COVID-19 will affect the sports industry view a recap of the Twitter chat here. Continue to ask your questions using the hashtag #MITSloanExperts.