In this week’sFive on Friday, the World Health Organization gives us light at the end of thetunnel with a daily livestreamed concert series featuring John Legend andColdplay. Also this week, Skift shares its predictions for consumer trendsafter the coronavirus,  Convince andConvert provides content marketing statistics we need to know, educationcompanies offer free subscriptions to parents with kids out of school, and theNFL, NBA and NHL offer free subscriptions while live sports are canceled.

WHO andGlobal Citizen Partner to Bring Free Livestreamed Concerts During Pandemic

In manyareas throughout the U.S. and the world, quarantines and sheltering in placeorders are in effect. Everywhere else, people are encouraged to practice socialdistancing, and gatherings of large crowds are prohibited. This can create asense of isolation and fear. To help bring some light into our lives, the WorldHealth Organization has partnered with Global Citizen to bring a series of freelivestreamed concerts to viewers. The series, called “Together,At Home,” kicked off Monday with Coldplay’s Chris Martin who played avirtual solo concert on Instagram, taking requests from the audience.

“The rightthing to do is staying home…and not buying too much toilet paper,” Martin said.

On Tuesday,John Legend followed suit, playing a virtual concert for fans around the globewhich included his hit song “All of Me.”

“Coronavirusis affecting people all around the world and part of how we prevent it fromspreading to even more people, and hurting even more people, is by physicallydistancing ourselves from people, including people who might be sick,” Legendsaid. “A lot of artists have decided they want to make staying home alittle bit easier for everybody.

In additionto providing the free concerts, WHO and Global Citizen are hoping to createawareness of the facts about coronavirus and to encourage people to getinvolved, including donating to the COVID-19 Solidarity Respond Fund, startedby the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, reportsTubeFilter. Other actions include taking a quiz to see how much you knowabout the coronavirus, supporting the U.S. response to coronavirus, tweetingand writing letters. Learnmore at GlobalCitizen.org.

TrendWatchingShares Consumer Trend Predictions in a Post-Coronavirus World

We canalready see the significant economic impacts the coronavirus is having on ournation, but what will it look like after the pandemic is over? TrendWatchinghas been tracking consumer trends, and Skift has shared predictions for whatthose trends will be in a post-coronavirus world.

1. Virtual experiences: During the pandemic, we are adapting to social distancing. We are taking virtual museum tours, watching virtual concerts, and obsessing over replays of our favorite sports games and matches. Our economy will continue this trend, leveraging physical assets and services in a digital way. Museums can leverage memberships by offering virtual museum tours as an added perk. Artists can monetize virtual concerts as a perk of fan club membership. The possibilities are endless!
   
2. Online educational experiences: While many of us have the freedom to work from home, our minds crave a challenge. We want to do more than mindless surfing on the web and binge-watching the hottest new shows. We’ll seek out online educational classes, activities, workshops and webinars. Having seen how they work in a crisis, we’ll be more open to new ways of learning. There are countless free, freemium and subscription educational opportunities available. You are only limited by your imagination.
   
3. Back to basics: Regardless of your generation, some have never learned – or enjoyed – doing basic chores around the home, including cooking, cleaning, gardening and home repair. As the economy shrinks and money is in short supply, tasks we may have outsourced before will come back into our hands, another opportunity for learning and growth. Never learned to master a crown rib roast or make your own chicken broth? Sign up for a cooking subscription to learn new culinary skills.

Read theremaining predictions in TrendWatching’s article, “Afterthe Virus: 10 Consumer Trends for a Post-Coronavirus World” on Skift.com.

[Editor’sNote: Our friends at Skift are among the independent media outlets, striving toprovide up-to-the-minute coverage on how the coronavirus is impacting the travelindustry. In blog post, founder and CEO Rafat Ali asks for the support ofreaders, so they can keep doing their important work. You can help by readingtheir Skift Coronavirus Liveblog,subscribing to Skift Airline Weekly ormaking a contribution. Learn more atSkift.com.]

5 ContentMarketing Statistics You Should Know Now

Anyone in marketing is familiar with the phrase “content is king.” In combination with other marketing strategies, content is very valuable. To help you maximize your content and to understand what works and what doesn’t, Convince and Convert shared some statistics from SEMrush’s “State of Content Marketing Report,” which analyzed 450K tweets, 700K blog posts, hundreds of thousands of Google searches and survey responses from 1,200 marketing professionals. Here are five key statistics they shared.

1. Long-form articles of 3,000 words or more got 3 times more traffic, 2 times more shares, and 3.5 times more backlinks than shorter articles.
2. Articles with headlines of 14 or more words got 3 times more traffic, 2 times more shares, and 5 more backlinks than those with shorter headlines.
3. Lists get up to 2 times more shares, followed by guides and “how to” articles.
4. 37% of Americans use their mobile devices to go online. In 2011, 35% owned a smartphone. In 2019, that number grew to 81%.
5. The most read blogs use a mix of content including lists, Q&As, how tos and guides.

Get the fullstory, “10Content Marketing Statistics for 2020.” by Kayla Matthews at Convince andConvert online.

CompaniesStep Up with Free Online Education for Kids Out of School

As ofTuesday, 44 states had closed schools to prevent the spread of coronavirus, reportsEducation Week. That leaves parents in need of childcare and educationalopportunities for their school-aged kids. Some school districts are providingvirtual learning, but that doesn’t work in every area or every situation.

To help fillthe gaps, some educational companies are offering free subscriptions toaffected families, saysGood Housekeeping. Some have always offered free content, some work using afreemium model, and others use the subscription model.

Here are afew to check out:

Read Good Housekeeping’s roundup at GoodHousekeeping.com.

NFL, NBAand NHL Offer Free Subscriptions During Coronavirus Outbreak

Are youready for some football – or some basketball? The NFL season may be over, andthe NBA may be on pause for now, but both leagues want to give sports fanstheir fix. The NFL will offer free access to NFL Game Pass to U.S. users nowthrough May 31, reportsDigital Trends. Fans outside the U.S. and Canada can access the NFL’s premiumproduct through July 31. Content includes replays of NFL games from 2009 through2019 as well as original NFL programming and access to the NFL films archives.Interested fans can visit NFL.com/GamePassfor more information, or sign up through the NFL Game Pass app.

The NBA isoffering free access too, but they are doing it differently. They are calling theirNBA League Pass offer a “free preview.” Through April 22, basketball fans canwatch full length and condensed replays of all games from the 2019-20 as wellas archives of classic games and NBA content. Interested fans can redeem theoffer by signing into their accounts on NBA.comor through the NBA app.

The NHL isfollowing suit. While its season is on hold, fans are invited to watch any2019-20 hockey game for free by logging into their NHL.comaccount or going to NHL.com/tv to stream ontheir favorite device.

Have subscription news tips, story ideas or job openings? Email Dana Neuts at dneuts@subscriptioninsider.com.