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By Pat Evans
As the traditional Big Four U.S. sports plot their return to action, others across the globe are getting underway. This weekend, Germany’s Bundesliga got back on the soccer pitch while NASCAR sped around Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
The Bundesliga is following a protocol developed with health officials where only players, staff, team officials, broadcasters and security are allowed in the stadium. Viewers were undeterred. The five afternoon matches on Sky Germany drew 3.68 million viewers, twice as many as normal, and the games were shown on more than 70 broadcasts across the globe.
Ahead of the checkered flag at Darlington, NASCAR can already proclaim the new season a success. The circuit has made a swift pivot to expand its digital footprint, adopted online racing during the lull, and has even seen a few new sponsors resulting from the pandemic. NASCAR is back in action again Wednesday, also at Darlington, as the Cup Series races four times in 11 days.
