Spursfan
Years ago

Argument against 'NBL is dead'

I've been visibly keen for start of the new NBL season, but so many people around me are just saying stuff like "NBL is dead so I'm not interested".

And it ot me thinking, what would be arguments for the league being on the increase?

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paul  
Years ago

Increased crowds, increased tv viewers and increased sponsorship over the past three seasons. Best TV deal in a long time plus a new online service that shows every game.

The downside is a team died recently and few make a profit, and that while the areas I mentioned have increased noticeably they are still relatively small.

But if the league is dead now, Id hate to think what it was four years ago!

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alexkrad  
Years ago

6000+ members in Perth and sell outs at Vector Arena have to give arguments that it is definitely on the rise in Perth and NZ at least.

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Statman  
Years ago

Its really hit home this week that the Blaze are dead but to say the whole NBL is dead is a massive understaement.
Ive really missed the excitement of final trail matches, season launches and the like and have struggled to get really into the season as I have in years gone past. In saying that the ammount of action on social media has been a massive improvement on previous seasons and as Paul said having the games easily accessable on TV and the net is a huge step in the right direction. Im also of the belief that we will have the closest season in memory with any of 6 teams IMO having a legitimate shot at the titles.

Lets see a great season and improvements across the board in club and league revenue to allow for expansion to SE Qld in the coming years!

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Statman  
Years ago

Whoops - make that 'overstatement' :)

Ill vote for TR's edit button too Isaac

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Hurls  
Years ago

The NBL is alive and kicking... especially with that cougar Kristina Keneally in the picture. NBL.TV.. a live game on Channel 10. a friday night game on One. Bigger crowds across the board.. This is the start of something really good. and then next year. a new melbourne team...

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Isaac  
Years ago

Baby steps as usual but they won't convince haters.

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HO  
Years ago

Isaac is right. The danger is we spruik the baby steps as something much bigger than they are.

Baby steps is what it is. Crowd growth has been very modest when you factor in the variables. For example crowds should grow again this season with Gold Coast gone.

I don't think its about the haters though. Its about convincing people beyond the diehards that the product is relevant and meaningful.

Do people feel so embedded and engaged with their local clubs that they will turn up week in week out to follow them?

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Mick  
Years ago

NBL is dead in Townsville, but is growing at a sustainable rate in every other city.

Perth, NZ, and the resurrected community-based Cairns side are great success stories, and I've got a feeling Adelaide will be a great team off-the-court now they have a team on-the-court they can be proud of.

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paul  
Years ago

Rather than variables, it is the fact that an approx 25% increase on 08 and 09 is actually just approx 750 people per game. While that is meaningful to the NBL given crowd levels, in the broader scheme it is small.

The TV increase is big percentage wise, bigger than the increase in reach, but is really only 15-20K which again is small in the broader picture.

This season will be a good gauge of where things sit, with conditions in place for crowds to average close to 5000 (late 90s territory) and TV ratings in Australia to take a quantum leap up to respectable status. They need to.

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HO  
Years ago

But it is patently misleading Paul, even inaccurate.

Taking your worst drawing team out of a competition, Sydney Spirit, does not mean more people are attending at Adelaide, Melbourne and Wollongong - despite "averages" being up, it means you have helped yourself statistically - nothing more, nothing less.

The NBL has not increased attendances at the remaining venues by 750 a game. That is where the real measurement needs to occur. We know Townsville has dropped dramatically. We know there will be a statistical lift this year because of Perth and their new venue.

When real statisticians roll out numbers they do so
with real adjustments built in - the NBL needs to post crowd numbers per venue/club, and average across those increases and decreases.

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paul  
Years ago

Sydney Kings, Melbourne, Cairns, New Zealand and Perth's attendance last year were all up on 08 levels, some by a lot more than 750. Wollongong and GC were similar.

Sydney was approx 1500, New Zealand 2500, Cairns 1000+ while Perth were capacity limited, but had a clear increase in demand through more sell-outs and memberships.

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Zoom  
Years ago

First I love basketball, inc. NBL, and have enjoyed and supported it for years, and will continue to do so.

But you can't expect growth when it can't engage the mainstream media, and in turn the greater community, to generate support.

It is a popular niche sport that until it sheds it willingness to play second banana it will never be accepted.

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Hurls  
Years ago

have to agree a little with Zoom here.. its a great league. its got alot going for it. however for as long as it considers itself second fiddle it will stay around the same. it needs to be daring, it needs to be polarizing. it needs to find a broader market. it is steppin in the right direction however

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Wildcat Fan  
Years ago

Yep Zoom and Hurls are correct. While the NBL has been steadily improving it's own product to a level where it's clearly not 'dead', it still needs engagement from mainstream media, where it's pretty much still ignored.

It looks as though that no matter how many positives the league garners such as crowd growth, FTA TV at reasonable hours, NBL.TV etc... It's still not enough to get the attention of AFL obsessed Channel 7 and newspapers which are full of football news in the sports pages.

In Perth, the Wildcats have just ticked over 6000 members, which is phenomenal, but they still can't get a highlight news report on the ABC after today's win against NZ. It's a shame that this rivalry is not being properly appreciated on mainstream media. Without realising it, the Wildcats are probably bigger than the Glory, but as its a basketball club, the recognition isnt there. Until the NBL breaks the stigma of a dead sport and stands up to the football codes, it will always be viewed as second rate.

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