US sport grapples with prospect of fan-free future

American professional sports leagues plotting their path back from the coronavirus shutdown are preparing for a future played out behind closed doors or to sparsely populated arenas, scenarios that analysts say are likely to carry a heavy financial burden and could lead to profound changes.

Although plans to resume action have yet to be finalized, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League are reportedly mulling proposals that include playing games in empty stadia or in clusters of large, confined fan-free zones.