This past year has been nightmarish for the people and markets served by our EASL Section, as the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through the arts, entertainment and sports sectors with a vengeance. Broadway was shuttered, along with stage and film theaters across the country; actors, dancers, singers, musicians and production crews experienced extended furloughs and unemployment; college and professional sports all but shut down until mid-year, when events intermittently started and re-started only to empty stands; museums and art galleries remain in crisis mode; and protracted TV and film production shutdowns delayed new programming for many months. Addressing these critical issues has been an ongoing focus of EASL’s programming.

At our 2021 annual meeting, the EASL Sports Law Committee sponsored Part II of an ongoing forum on The Impact of COVID-19 on Sports: A Legal Perspective. The forum has been examining the uncertain paths forward emerging from, and potential long-term impacts of, the pandemic on world sports.