You've read the article incorrectly. Like any sane league, they're working at both traditional TV and an online strategy. Seemed pretty clear in the article.

And online is the way of the future.

lol. I don't know why you solely zoned in on the internet coverage part, he clearly says there needs to be more TV coverage also.

Anonymous... your a bit overzealous... no one, not in the article.. and not on here.. has ever suggested the NBL shouldn't try to stay on free to air... I think perhaps you might be a bit touched in the head... because your not seeing the obvious here.

I read "integrate"..

Are you aware of what integration means?

Also, food for thought... there is NO situation in the forseeable future where NBL will play on Free to air.. every game... live. It is not happening in the next decade, unlikely to ever happen.

I know your a bit out of reality.. but can we agree there?

Ok.. Good.

So... what do you suppose should be done? Ignore the internet route and just have the masses miss out on those games because for some reason.. the idea that the internet is the future of sports telecasting is ludicrous?

One day, you will have the internet in your fridge... The internet will be part of your furniture.. it will literally be in the walls moderating the tempersture of your house to your comfort level. Your fridge will send messages to the local shop to order the food that your out of.... Ok, this all sounds far fetched.. but this is the kind of world that many scientists think is only 20 years away at most.

Internets the future of the WORLD.. and you think it is somehow stupid to think it might play a part of the future of the NBL?

I know a lot of people,... who dont even watch TV, they download there shows and watch catch up on the internet... I think your the fool living in the past.

In closing, yes... it needs to be on TV... but don't be ignorant to the fact that most people nowadays spend more time on the net then watching TV

You basically addressed your own dillemma... saying in the same post

"nothing that suggests more games on TV in the future"

and following that up with

"Considering our ratings have fluctuated between 19k-50k per game, I don't see anyone else picking up the coverage with those poor numbers anyway."

Errr... Where do I begin?

How does the NBL even say it is trying to get more games on TV when it is having an uphill battle keeping the ones it has?

Furthermore... why is getting a bigger internet presence such a stupid idea when as you said yourself.. "I dont see anyone else picking up the coverage"

What your actually doing is ridiculing the NBL for having a plan B of any sort.

Lol. No... No.. No...

What your suggesting... is actually to minimize their potential reach...

On channel 10, ratings have averaged around 40 K..

On Fox sports.. it averaged 3 thousand..

You are cutting off 90% of the viewers by doing that.

Absolutely not a good idea. and after the way NBL left fox, they don't want us back I don't think/

No... what the NBL want is to STAY with channel 10... and hope that they do enough to increase the ratings in the next 2 seasons.

If they can get numbers to respectable figures.. I dunno, 70K? then they might either get re-signed for a modest deal... or another station like SBS/ABC/Channel 9... just MIGHT take them up.

But what about the very likely scenario that we will kind of linger around near where we are? (which is what will happen without drastic change)..

then yes... Ten will drop us, it wont make much sense to go to fox and they wont want us... AND what are we left with

the internet..

NBL TV in its current form is woeful, but I think NBL wont be dumb enough to keep "perform" as the group making the site after the contract ends.. which I think is this season.

The NBL will survive.. and probably stay on FTA... whether on ABC, or SBS... it just might not 'thrive' or get any bigger. the next year is deciding year, does it grow or stay a niche market. we are soon to find out

Lol @ stop the BBQ and let's watch the basketball... What idiocy!

The beauty of the Internet or atleast NBL.tv is you don't have to watch the games live but on demand which means I can go to my Wildcats game and then come home and enjoy the commentary and try and remember the next highlight coming up.

I'd love it on 7mate as GEM will have cricket and ONE changed it so they don't put sports telecasts on before 9:30pm (or that's atleast the 2012 ideals)
SoccerBoobsSubtitles will focus on soccer and cycling and they are happy with those as they won't upset anyone... Think they have netball too

I know PERFORM couldn't put a greasy stick up a cat's arse but I appreciate the sentiment that I can watch any game when I want... Only wish this was around when Geelong, Hobart, Canberra and Giants were around... Oh wait they are coming back

It said "a priority", not the only priority.

NBA have league pass. AFL have an online offering. In a climate where Ten isn't giving appropriate support, trying to provide a backup is smart. The NBA is apparently today announcing the ability to get per-player highlights videos on en masse after each game. It's not happening on TV/cable but online. It's beyond the NBL's budget/audience at this point, but it is inevitable and it won't be happening on the typical TV channels we know. NBA video box scores.

And IPTV or similar is the future. Why be hamstrung by a select few channels only when IPTV can provide dozens of dedicated basketball channels.

Jumping to talk about cancelling viewings at the pub and so on is a weak argument that completely fails to understand the point. No one, anywhere, is suggesting cancelling efforts to get the NBL on TV. In fact, the league are working to get Brisbane back in the league so the NBL has coverage in major state capitals and to boost any TV chances.

exactly right isaac... exactly what I was trying to explain (but was falling on deaf ears)

Anon, so what was your point? Because nothing you've written so far suggests an ability to comprehend what you read without prematurely jumping to conclusions or miss points.

So, the ratings are terrible and they're doomed on TV. Therefore, you're critical of their attempts to use online broadcasts to provide current fans with a way to view live games. Yeah, that really follows.

And then, to help the NBL survive, you think the best bet is to talk shit about the league and its new CEO online rather than find positives.

Way to go. You're a real delight.

You weren't saying a broadcaster didn't want the NBL. You were implying from your poor read of the article that the league was ignoring TV for online which is completely untrue. When that was pointed out, you still kept on in a negative fashion.

[online] does nothing to attract sponsors. That is REALITY.

As far as I am concerned.. the issue with the NBL has been and always will be marketing. No tv add, very little noise made... no wonder the NBL doesnt rate well.

The NBL has this and next season to make a real move, or they will end up solely on the net. But never did they say they didn't want to be on TV... what I will say is, they could get some form of marketing done NOW or atleast for the play offs!