The Chicago Cubs aren’t confident in Wrigley Field being filled to capacity next season.
MLB, just like other professional sports leagues, had their respective seasons turned upside down due to the coronavirus pandemic. All 30 teams have played in their home ballparks, but with no live fans in attendance. We’ve seen either tarped off seats, or chairs filled with cardboard fans to fill the void. With the 2020 regular-season nearing its conclusion, all eyes are on next year, and the Chicago Cubs aren’t exactly confident in Wrigley Field being sold out on a nightly basis.
According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs have sought out advice from medical experts and are not expecting Wrigley Field to be filled to full capacity to start off the 2021 campaign.
2021 won’t be a normal season, either
After the Cubs spoke to public health and local government officials, the belief is that attendance will be capped off at 50-percent, with season-ticket holders being given priority to purchase single-game tickets.
Sources told Rogers that the Cubs are expected to miss out on 75-percent of their 2020 revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which equates to a loss of up to $140 million. That is why the Cubs announced they laid off 25-percent of their business staff on Thursday, plus there’s simply too much uncertainty heading into the next calendar year.
While the league has allowed no fans in any MLB stadium, commissioner Rob Manfred is planning on having a limited number of fans in attendance for the NLCS and World Series at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. The Lone Star State has allowed a limited number of fans to attend sporting events, with the most recent instance being the Dallas Cowboys’ home opener against the Atlanta Falcons, where they hosted 21,000 individuals.
The Cubs, just like the rest of us, realize that there is no timeline to get out of this pandemic. The COVID-19 virus determines when we can return to normal life. Expect a limited quantity of fans attending games until an effective vaccine is approved and rolled out across the world.