Bigcounrtyaus - Cant speak for the other teams but the 36ers are playing several preseason games in regional towns.

bigcountryaus

the NBL moved to summer because it was in decline....already....in trouble....poor crowds...bad TV ratings etc. Hindsight does not work in this debate, you actually needed to know the facts as they were occurring.

no one wants the NBL on FTA. Channel seven dumped it, channel ten dumped it....the NBL PAID ABC to show it, and then did a deal for nine to show it the last two seasons in a contra paid deal.....

they could offer it to anyone for nothing and it still would not be shown....

As usual, you're one of the most reasonable posters on here HO - agree with your points.

The league should try forgetting the notion of a nation-wide FTA deal and let clubs try for something local themselves. Wollongong, Perth and the FNQ clubs might have a chance?

Would be good to see even one of the local stations do some sort of highlights show, part of game replay. Channel 31 or someone like that.

Isaac, the league has explored local TV deals before - with success. Perth had one, as did Townsville. Local market deals are almost certainly they way to go.

Does anyone remember 1 of the main reasons the NBL switched from winter to summer?

It was because of the saturation coverage that the then AFL & NRL were & still are getting on FTA radio, TV and news papers.

In the summer we compete with Cricket, tennis and soccer (seem to remember that soccer made the switch after NBL).

I would bet my right earhole that should the NBL move back to winter we would have people complaining that it was a dumb move.

bigcountryaus, are you suggesting that during the winter you go into hibernation and see no mates, attend no parties and generally sit around during the weekend with nothing to do?

The summer move has generally worked for my circle of freinds and last year I would suggest an avergae of 3-4000 others ageee.

#196138

The sydney-melbourne thing is really hard but guess what, they are the two markets that Foxtel care about. Take a look through last years schedule...Sydney, dragons, brisbane, and tigers featured in all but very few of the wednesday night games....solely for Foxtel's sake.

The reason there's no FTA coverage of NBL is Average Joe doesn't like basketball - too much same old same old - except maybe the last 3 minutes if the game is close. Summer or winter; no difference. Sorry folks, it's just not an Aussie sport! Now, where's the soccer forum.......

Anon - if Sydney and Melbourne can't get FTA deals, so be it. After some big derbies this season, I don't think they'll need it that badly. Plus, it's not like they haven't gone without FTA over the last few years as it is.

I'd rather have 5 teams with FTA coverage than all of them with nothing.

There are thousands of kids playing basketball every weekend in almost every city in every state. These kids all must have at least one parent who takes them to their game. That's a lot of people who are fimiliar with and understand the game.

I dont think the free-to-air coverage is pivotal to the succeess of the league ... does the A-League have FTA coverage? What does matter is putting financially sound franchises in sensible locations, linking them to grassroots hoops, and patience!

Good marketing, nice merchandise ... less hoopla, and less sponsors crap all over the floor, uniforms, seats, etc. will help too. I realise that sponsorship helps to put the product on the floor, but surely from a sponsor point of view, the message is lost amongst the clutter!

Just my 2 cents!

Not sure that the clubs negotiating with TV individually has worked, I know that Wildcats did it but it cost the club money.

Changing back to winter is pointless, no way will NBL compete with AFL/rugby for promotion(lets face it, it is losing to Soccer)


"Sponsors crap" is what pays the costs, take that away and you are back at the local level, so just go see the local games and forget a national league