The outbreak of the pandemic may feel like a lifetime ago, but the pain of having to stay inside for months at a time is still with us. While some people could work from home, others had to worry about what they could do to make the time pass. The entertainment industry changed before our eyes as the world became something new and different.
California is home to Hollywood, making it one of the biggest entertainment capitals of the world. Filming came to a halt, and singers couldn’t tour live bars to make a name for themselves anymore. People had to find new ways to cure their boredom of staying inside, and this drastically changed the Californian entertainment industry.
Let’s have a look at some of the biggest sectors that were affected during the pandemic.
Online Gambling
Casinos have always been a spot that avid gamblers visit often, but with the pandemic outbreak, it wasn’t possible to visit them anymore. Not even freshly pumped air throughout the casinos could keep the virus away. And that’s why people turned to the internet and started using real money online casinos in California to get their fix of slots and table games.
More people using these online casinos had to step up their game. Some of the most popular sites started offering better bonuses to encourage more people to play their slots and other games. At the same time, they began to ramp up their security to ensure everyone felt safe while depositing money on their sites.
Now that the pandemic is coming to a close, these sites continue to be popular, and more and more people are using them daily.
Streaming
Before the pandemic, Netflix was still a popular platform, and many people would religiously binge their favorite tv shows. However, in 2020 these streaming platforms saw a huge rise in account sign-ups and viewers. Due to the popularity of watching shows and movies online, the California entertainment industry’s performance only reduced by 3.3% and remained the capital of creativity and digital media.
Instead of cinemas, production companies were launching their movies on sites like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime, and they still do today even once people could go to the big screen again. These sites are still extremely popular among California residents, and they will only continue growing to keep up with the demand for quality tv shows and movies.
Live Music
Festival and concert lovers were devastated during the pandemic when their favorite artists had to cancel their tours. There were not many possibilities of people in California going to view live music as bars, theatres, and concert halls had to close their doors to prevent the further spread of the virus. However, singers and bands were still able to appease their fans by hosting virtual concerts that people could watch on streaming platforms.
Of course, watching your favorite artist on a screen instead of a stage a few feet away from you will never be the same, but it’s opened up many doors for people who want to see a singer that may not frequently visit California. Similarly, concerts in California always sell out extremely quickly, and people can still get to experience a bit of the magic even when they can’t get their hands on the real thing.
Live Sports
Similar to music, people could no longer go to an NFL, baseball, or soccer game. Leagues were put on hold, and it seemed like we had to live with reruns of old games on the television. The sports world came to a standstill, and it seemed like we would never be able to watch our favorite teams in victory ever again.
However, luckily most sporting events are back on and running as usual. Although many Californians had to wait a year to watch the Olympics on their screens and various other leagues, you can now visit an arena and watch the best sports players make the winning goal in real life. Some vaccination requirements are in place for players, which means that some teams have become limited, but it should be back to how we knew it before in a matter of time.
Reading
Unfortunately, many people lost their love of reading over the years, especially with more people turning to streaming sites, the internet, and games. When the pandemic broke out, many decided to start new hobbies and make the most of the time, which led to increased reading. Authors had time to work on new work and release them on platforms where people could access the content using their e-readers.
Now that things are getting back to normal, reading habits have still continued to change. People in California have a greater appreciation for the written word, and book sales have maintained a steady pace.