Well, I wondered about this when Mike Wrublewski proposed June to December. So , at the moment we start mid September, just after the olympics and in the middle of AFL finals. In June we've got our best players home ?

there is no good timing unless u shorten the season, because format now runs into nrl, afl launch of season and has to compete with the cricket and a league, i like the idea of starting in june you can create a buzz but you wont have good crowds as such until october with december having all the spotlight just for the nbl, this also could insure a free to air deal. I say start the season in July so we get some spotlight when we start then first 10 games go till end of september so its extended then have 20 games from oct 1 go Dec 10 or so finish round new year or finish at dec 10 cause nbl needs a free to air deal. There is no good solution though as we will never get good popularity but i am interested after the lot of media attention the last finals series recieved

Deckchairs.....Titanic.

WHEN the season runs is irrelevant.....How well it's run is what counts.

Good, well marketed product = Bums on seats.

I'm sure there's an element of that, but it'd be easier to get press for the launch of the league if it weren't running at the same time as the AFL wrapping up IMO!

Ever see the photos of that launch run in Sydney out in the open air, with virtually no one there? That was really sad. And then you have everyone coming up to you months later saying "has the NBL season started yet?" in December, and "Does Mark Davis still play?"

I think DICKO is mostly right. When the NBL was pumping, it was smack dab in the middle of the AFL season.

It had a profile, large enough for even Channel Ten to consider primetime coverage (the less said about that the better). Huge crowds in most places, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane were good too.

There must be a tangible reason why it has all gone so wrong from those glory years, when the other big sports were looking over there shoulder.

Speed, but times have changed. Back then, there were Jordan commercials on TV and everyone was trading basketball cards, watching NBA Action and so on. Those days have gone and the league needs to be a lot more particular about its timing and strategies. Every small advantage in the congested markets (East coast) will be crucial.

Heavy Advertising Campaign or league relaunch.

How do you think the AFL became the biggest sport in the country; it wasn't anything special in the early 90's until they pushed out the "I'd like to see that" ad campaign.

Netball, Soccer, Rugby League, Union etc. etc. etc. each one of the sports had a big ad campaign and usually a big season launch/relaunch and every one of these leagues has taken off and is making money.

I used to watch Sixers games until they moved to Foxtel, then I completely forgot about the NBL until a mate brought round a Sixers club tape. Since then I bought foxtel to watch the NBL and have been a Gold Member for the club for the past 4 years... and that was from watching a tape.

You just need a decent ad campaign and you'll probably find that fans from years back will come out of the woodwork and go see the games again.

When the season starts means nothing; letting people know the league actually exists and is entertaining is the most important.