Worth remembering both channels don't stop commissioning the soap episodes for the days they air so a good chunk of the early evening schedule wouldn't be too different to the norm. The detective dramas which would probably often be airing against BBC matches anyway will fill alot of the schedule, and of course daytime matches can just be replaced on both sides by reruns of the usual daytime shows. For the BBC it's the likes of New Tricks and Death in Paradise that get repeated - they might even dust off an episode or two of Mrs Brown's Boys.
ITV might struggle more due to the big hole in the autumn they already need to fill, though it could provide them with the excuse to bump Love Island to the main channel (not that I think that's the wisest move).
Of the two big sporting events this summer, I don't think the Olympics will be cancelled not a cat's chance in hell BUT there is some room for schedule manoeuvre for Euro 2020. Move Euro 2020 to next summer move women's euro 2021 to summer 2022 and take advantage of the world cup being in the winter of that year. I realise that's an incredibly simplistic way of looking at it but it does seem somewhat logical.
The totally bizarre plan to host Euro 2020 across the continent is coming home to roost well and truly, in these unfortunate circumstances.
I can see some forced changes into the 2020-1 CL/EL qualifying. Single matches could replace Home and Away matches, which will be bad for fans but if needs be. That would free up a number of weeks at the end of July and in August which could be used to catch up any remaining 2019-20 fixtures across Europe in the non big four territories.
The frankly strange and convoluted Nations League could be recast too, scrapping the home and away nature of the first phase, that would free up a couple of early 2020-1 International Breaks for domestic use.
I think the IOC will be forced to make a decision on Tokyo sooner rather than later, many qualifying events are being delayed which will inevitably introduce injuries to participants which wont heal before the games. Maybe delaying some sports but maintaining the first division ones during the scheduled timeframe could be an answer.
It's tricky - it could disappear as quickly as it appeared and I think the big sporting organisations are in the same position as many of us running businesses across the country - you don't want to make a big call too early, but don't want to leave it too late either.
I agree in terms of European football cutting down rounds to one leg would help ease the schedule. I think the Euro 2020 play offs though are already one legged affairs thanks to the nonsense that is the Nations League, with teams having to win two games against two opponents to qualify.
I think in terms of Olympic qualification there is always the back up of using world rankings as an alternative to a qualifying event. There will likely also be alternative events later in the Spring which could potentially act as an alternative qualifier.
It is worth remembering that all current major quarantines or bans on public gatherings are planned to be just for a matter of weeks rather than months, so if I were the IOC or UEFA I wouldn't be cancelling anything until April.
The totally bizarre plan to host Euro 2020 across the continent is coming home to roost well and truly, in these unfortunate circumstances.
However UEFA might have tried to spin it as a celebration of the tournament by playing matches all over the continent, the blunt truth is that back in 2008 (when bidding was opened) no single country could afford to host it.
With no credible options on the table, the decision to hold games at existing stadiums was simply the only practical option.
That said, I fail to see how things world have been any different if they had stuck to the traditional plan? There would still be restrictions on travel for teams and fans (perhaps more so).
The totally bizarre plan to host Euro 2020 across the continent is coming home to roost well and truly, in these unfortunate circumstances.
However UEFA might have tried to spin it as a celebration of the tournament by playing matches all over the continent, the blunt truth is that back in 2008 (when bidding was opened) no single country could afford to host it.
With no credible options on the table, the decision to hold games at existing stadiums was simply the only practical option.
That said, I fail to see how things world have been any different if they had stuck to the traditional plan? There would still be restrictions on travel for teams and fans (perhaps more so).
The rise to 24 teams basically ruled out all but the largest countries from being able to host, even to co-host.