The economic damage sustained by the Japanese sports industry as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak could reach a staggering ¥274.7 billion ($2.56 billion), according to renowned economist Katsuhiro Miyamoto.
Of that sum, 46 percent — ¥127.2 billion ($1.19 billion) — would be shouldered by many of the country's professional competitions, with the remainder impacting related industries such as manufacturers of merchandise, stadium concessions and sports equipment.
The report covered many of the country's professional circuits such as sumo, Nippon Professional Baseball, soccer's J. League and basketball's B. League. But it excluded sports with legalized betting such as horse racing, keirin and motorboat racing.