I like the sound of the above. Let's hope it happens

Yes agree with the above. Channel 9 would be the preference. I could realistically see this as a possible schedule:

Friday night double header - 5.30pm and 7.30pm wst on Go or Gem (7.30 and 9.30 eastern)

Saturday 2.30pm wst 5.30pm est "Kmart Match" on 9's main channel

Sunday 12pm on 9.

Don't need a weekly show just yet on fta but def one on fox.

Fox to show all games live, at the NBLs expence. However now including a special Monday night fixture shown sporadically throughout the season. 8 monday night games. Each team gets one monday night home fixture. Fox pays for this.

Sky to keep showing Breakers games and feeding them to Fox.

Either 2x live games double header on Friday night, or Saturday night. Doesn't matter which one. Basically the coverage should be similar to, or better than the netball league's coverage.

NBL > Super Netball by a fair way, so the coverage should be as good as their coverage at minimum, if it was to go on Channel 9.

The NBL could do with some consistency now - ie a three year deal with roughly the same broadcast slots.

Only exception to that is if local teams were broadcasted into local markets to boost ratings - that might be worth giving up the consistency.

Primetime games are more ideal than afternoon games. With that said, it might be a bit beyond the NBL to get that.

Problem with Nine isn't this summer, it's the next ones when they have the Tennis. Tennis is a solid 90-100 days, which pushes the NBL to a second or third channel. That's not ideal.

Ten Network is most ideal because:
a. Having new people working there with the CBS acquisition
b. They have a limited sport range in summer, avoiding pushing NBL to a secondary channel
c. Their News runs from 5-6pm allowing for the NBL to deal with the Perth 2 and a half hours behind scenario

Ideal scenario:

NBL played Thursday-Sunday generally with exception to:
» Australia Day [Melbourne open roof game to be played]
» Christmast/NY period of 20th Dec - 6th Jan with games being on every day except for Christmas Day and New Years Day.

All games shown on Fox, Sky Broadcasts NZ games

Wednesday Night
» Preview Show on Fox Exclusively [going through NBL, NBA & Aussies in College]

Thursday Night game - 5PM AEST if game is in NZ/7PM AEST if in Australia
» Live On Fox Exclusively - Fixture half based in NZ games, half Aus games

Friday Night game on 8:30pm AEST or if in Perth 9PM AEST
» Live on Ten Network
» Ten Network 30 minute pre-show for all states except Perth at 8PM AEST or 8:30PM AEST if game is based in Perth

Saturday Afternoon 2:30PM AEST
» Live on Ten Network

Saturday Twilight 4:30PM AEST
» Live on Fox Exclusively

Saturday Night game 7:30PM AEST
» Live on Fox Exclusively

Saturday Night Perth slot 9PM AEST
» Slot doesnt exist every week, only when Perth play at home on Sat night
» Half of Perth based slot sat night games Live on Ten Network, half Live on Fox Exclusively

Sunday Afternoon game 2:30PM
» Live on Ten Network
» 30 minute preview/review of the round so far show on Ten Network

Sunday Night Perth slot 5PM
» Slot doesnt exist every week, only when Perth play at home on Sunday
» Live on Fox Exclusively

Monday Night Review Show 7PM AEST
» On Fox Exclusively - collection of highlights from each game narrated news style [ie what Fox did the year before last year]
=======
HOLIDAY DEC/JAN PERIOD
Thurs 20th/Friday 21st/Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd As above
Monday 24th Dec
» Live on Fox Exclusively AEST times:
» 5PM if in NZ/7PM if in NSW or Vic/7:30 if in SA/9PM if in Perth

Tuesday 25th Dec » No Match

Wednesday 26th Dec
» Boxing Day match at 2:30PM AEST
» Live on Ten Network

Thursday 27th/Friday 28th/Saturday 29th/Sunday 30th As above

Monday 31st
» Live on Fox Exclusively AEST times:
» 5PM if in NZ/7PM if in NSW or Vic/7:30 if in SA/9PM if in Perth

Tuesday 1st Jan
» No match

Wednesday 2nd Jan
» Live on Ten Network
» 7PM if in NSW or Vic/7:30 if in SA/9PM if in Perth

Thursday 2nd/Fri 3rd/Sat 4th/Sun 5th

Saturday 26th January 2:30PM AEST
» Live on Ten Network
» Special preview show on Ten Network at 2PM AEST

Consider this leverage wise:

1. Ten have new owners who want sports on their network - all they have in summer is a Game of the Week A-League match on ONE. This is a first time in a while that one network has nothing while the other two have major sports
2. No other sports are available to be obtained
3. NBL has increased interest, especially with Bogut joining
4. Ten perhaps wouldn't have to pay broadcast expenses given the NBL does it, making it cheaper for them than last time
5. NBL can package in the Boomers v Team USA games which would be highly valuable for FTA networks

The benefit for the NBL is being able to gain more value with sponsors by providing 6-7 hours of main channel FTA per week. Plus, the ability for increased interest, greater market reach etc.


Given the change in the sporting rights environment this summer, Ten's new owners, plus NBL being stable again and on the rise, plus Bogut, plus Australians playing well in the NBA gaining basketball interest again, plus the leverage of the Australia v Team USA games - we're at a critical point in time. The NBL has the best chance to get a good deal that can help basketball rise in interest and marketability, so that future deals beyond, FTA networks may eventually pay some coin which would be a huge difference to the NBL paying expenses for games to play on Fox/SBS.

Channel 7 aren't giving up the Australian Open this year, they’ve made that clear. Only reason why they’d depart from that is if they are in a contractual bind - they are obliged to show the Tennis on the main channel.

Re Nine, Tennis alone doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be interested in the NBL, same as how they showed a game when they had cricket. But, if we are following a best outcome, Channel Ten is probably that home for the reasons I stated.

In respect of being paid - consider the NBL at the moment, it’s on the rise, it’s improving, it has new investors beyond Kestleman if you consider AEG at Kings, NZs new owners, Kelley at 36ers, Bogut and Chill being keen to go into the action.

The NBL at the moment pays to produce the broadcast and gives it to Fox. In the next few years, if the NBL still pays to produce the broadcast but we get 6-7 hours live FTA and all games on Fox, that’s still a significant step up and money can start being regained through greater sponsorship deals and greater viewership/ticket attendance. Both for NBL and individual clubs. Considering the leaverage we have that I pointed out re no sports on Ten, re Bogut, re Team USA v Boomers, it gives a genuine hand to play at the negotiation table.

Once the NBL is consistently on FTA and Fox for say 2-3 years, that will hopefully give it the opportunity to keep building to then earn a broadcast deal which pays some coin.

I think people would have scoffed at the idea of soccer getting money for broadcast of their league back in the NSL days.

It's simpleton thinking to just assume the NBL's value now will be the same as in a few years - it would be absurd to assume the NBL's value now is the same as it was a few years ago.

We're not expecting a broadcaster to pay $200mil, but that doesn't mean in a few years a broadcaster won't find any value at all.

So ten showed the Adelaide Supercars race and then nothing since, are we of the belief that they won't show any more races on ten if they have the NBL?

We have Bathurst and Newcastle races during the NBL season and you'd have to factor that into any Sunday afternoon games that ten could be showing during the season.

I think I'd prefer nine but I'll accept anything

Might be a bit of an opening here for the NBL on Nine after Seven refused to sell the rights for the tennis to them a year early.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/nine-walks-away-from-2019-australian-open-after-talks-with-seven-break-down-20180615-p4zltd.html

My only problem with going with Nine right now is we'll fill a gap for a year, then it's likely we will take a back seat from then on. I doubt Nine could give much of a long term commitment in these circumstances. But hey, they might be able to work something worthwhile out I suppose.

That's all true but if there is only one channel competing for your services (Ten) as we know they can low ball you and screw you over as that channel has done to the NBL in the past.

I expect Nine and Seven will probably come to some agreement on the Aus Open as the tennis contractually has to be shown on Seven's main channel you can't really dump the test cricket on to a secondary channel when it would likely out rate the tennis anyway.

But hopefully the NBL are on the phone to Nine as we speak and trying to lock in a deal that is either superior to what Ten are offering or even able to leverage Ten into a better offer. Even if that means once Nine do have the tennis and the NBL gets bumped to a secondary channel it's likely where the NBL would end up on Ten anyway despite the fact they haven't got much sport to show in summer anymore.

A bit of a concern too is the NBL told us a commercial FTA channel TV deal was imminent shortly after the Bogut but nothing has been announced since. If the FTA channels are getting cold feet now would be a good time to remind Nine the NBL is an option at least for this summer.

Well aware thanks anon.

"You do know LK paid for TV coverage last season don't you?
No reason to assume that any channel wants to pay for it now."

Clearly you misunderstand what is meant by "paid for". Yes, LK "paid for" the production of the NBL, but he did not "pay for" FOX SPORTS to show it.

And if you're going to talk about who will "pay for" it now, well no one needs to "pay for" it. They simply need to show it on a good enough platform to get half decent ratings and get sponsors on board.

That is the point of the entire exercise here.

Why would a deal on "secondary channel" be so terrible?

The secondary channels (7 mate, go, One etc get broadcast everywhere the main channels do, I'm pretty sure. IMHO any deal would be best to include promotion spots in high rating shows.

In my neck of the woods almost all AFL is on 73 or 63 7 mate channels. It actually surprises me when it’s on the main 7 channel.

The NRL only has about 3 live slots per week in regular season (I think it’s Fox siphoning so many games) so 1-2 live games and a couple more delayed games broadcast late at night would be good. A mix of afternoon and prime time evening games would be good. Test the ratings in a variety of slots. The league and franchises both need growing ratings to sell to sponsors.

In spite of 10’s poor NBL broadcasting history, longer term 7 and 9 will be too full of AFL, NRL, AFLW and netball in a few years. That could crowd out the NBL within the broadcast network.

Bottom line: the NBL needs free to air commercial tv deal and viewers watching in larger numbers.

Correct AFL is often on 7mate here in the eastern states. With that said, people usually flick between 7,9 and 10 main channels. They receive far greater viewership. AFL, the prime games are on the main channel in the states where AFL is the premier league, otherwise AFL is big enough many of the people who want to watch will go to the second channel.

NBL doesn't have that benefit - if it’s on a secondary channel it won’t get the average joe flicking through and it won’t get that increased reach.

We’ve got Fox for showing mass number of games for sports lovers.

Indeed channel 9 is a temporary one year solution, the NBL needs to use its leverage for a longer deal such as 3 years that gets NBL main channel access (which I think would be possible if they’re getting it basically free plus benefit of Bogut and the Team USA games).

In respect of getting paid for NBL games, it’s probably beyond NBLs market for this next tv deal, but given three years of FTA main channel and growth, the following deal might attract payment even if its a lot lower/significantly different than the ALeague etc. at least it would be a reversal to paying for expenses and give a bit of extra financial breathing space.

Fox paying the NBL $3mil?

I guess that covers some of the broadcast production which they'd otherwise pay for

$3 million?

The new $400k?

Maybe that's the production costs, so would be NBL’s "in kind" contribution.

Yes, main channels have greater exposure and viewership. It goes without saying.

But most tv remotes seem to have guides these days. If you’re checking what crap they’ve put on using the guide, you’ll most likely see secondaries grouped with their main sister stations.

More TV viewers = more corporate $ into the league and franchises.

Gotta start somewhere.

Other than Lks mates sponsoring what other commercial sponsorships have jumped on board?

So what if some of the sponsors are his mates? $$$ still coming in. That happens in all sports.

That's the point of a well-run business - have a good network to rely on.

Bringing in Andrew Demetriou will hopefully help with this too

Demitriou would have the best high level business contacts of any sporting code CEO in Australia.

Perhaps he could bring along some ex AFL marketing types, ie the ones who stitched up the deals with corporate partners. There's bound to be some who would be interested in a sport with a lower spending commitment, and whose season is in summer rather than winter.

Channel Nine secures tennis rights from Seven a year earlier than anticipated

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/tennis/channel-nine-secures-tennis-rights-from-seven-a-year-earlier-than-anticipated/news-story/42738dcc91abfb9ee3687704612e1bc5

There we go, so Channel 7 to show cricket; Channel 9 to show Tennis this summer