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DORTMUND, GERMANY - MAY 16: A general view inside the stadium during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 at Signal Iduna Park on May 16, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany. The Bundesliga and Second Bundesliga is the first professional league to resume the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors. (Photo by Heinz Buese/Pool via Getty Images)
The German Football Championship was the first of the European Top 5 to restart
Germany and the Bundesliga returned to action after troubled times with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, all the matches had to follow strict rules imposed by the government to stop the spreading of the virus. Even without spectators in the stadiums, the Bundesliga TV audience reached the best levels ever. Is it worthy to get sports back without the passion and enthusiasm of every single fan of each club? Are the clubs thinking mainly on the financial side of this return? These questions are very hard to answer. Most of the federations, thought that even without anyone to fill the empty chairs for the matches, football should return if all health conditions and safety issues were met.
The result was quite positive. Even with a few more injuries than expected, things went smoothly and there was no setback or any lack of preparation to fulfill all of the matches. The biggest takeaway from this return was the record-breaking Bundesliga TV audience. Without any spectators in the stadiums, fans could not wait to watch their favourite team play again. Six million persons watched the Bundesliga on Saturday, a number that made history.
The fixtures were televised by 70 different broadcasters, all on agreed deals. It’s safe to say this return was a success, all things considered. Could Italy, England, Spain and Portugal follow Germany’s footsteps? Also having a successful return, not only in terms of viewership but also health-related?