In referance to the last paragraph ,it is the other way round.The Networks cant squeeze a lot out of the coverage for the commercial content during the game while on FTA.Supply and demand.
So far the games only have attendance figures of a couple of thousands at the game which translates as not many watchables and to me that is a shame.I wasnt around during the 90's so it sounds like viewing numbers have dropped off.
I think the playing numbers are high(520 teams in metro)maybe more visits out to the Burbs(I have seen Gilchrist and Groves at Molitors semi final)could start the "hunger".

I'm sure it is hurting the game, I have found heaps of people are starting to talk about the NBA a lot more since it is on FTA. Only problem is I dont think its a real money spinner for the networks, so they dont touch it. Best bet would probably be the ABC.

does the pope wear a funny hat??

It IS hurting the NBL not having free to air coverage. Sports that don't have FTO coverage have lower profiles and thus greater problems attracting sponsors and fans.
Expect not quarter from Channel 7. They are Australian football through and through. Even the news coverage from them is mediocre. Channel 9 is much better and Channel 10 is between the two IMO.
The WNBL coverage on ABC is very good and it is a shame the NBL couldn't get involved there as well. A cynic would say the ABC show the WNBL to get the female sports coverage quota up, but hey at least it is some basketball on the telly.
some time ago Channel 9 used to show a replay of a pay TV game on a Sunday morning. Would be nice if this could repeat, or at least have a highlights reel of the weekly games.
Let's face it. If you are a TV station and you have an hour slot to fill (in between adverts), why would you want to spend $$$ on local content when you can get a US show cheaply and show that? You only need to look at All Saints - last episode tonight BTW.
The other question to ponder is this. The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones. FTO is all about promotion of the game and getting people interested in it. While FTO coverage is one form of visual media, is there a better way the NBL could promote the game to the masses?

Happy for the web to fill this gap.

I have mates who refuse to watch any live TV. They will only watch TV shows they can download from the internet. TV ads are the pits.

Live on internet is better than nothing...

What exactly is preventing the NBL from providing the sort of extensive FTA coverage that they used to in the past?

Well it's a bit of a death cycle then isn't it? The league removes NBL from FTA TV which results in lower interests which they then use as an excuse for not putting it on FTA.

Whereas I believe putting games up on FTA (even by selling them dirt cheap to the networks) will generate interest which will in turn benefit the league over the long run.

From memory I do not believe it was the league that removed the NBL from FTA TV, but rather it was the fact that no FTA network wanted the NBL as a product. At the moment, the NBL is even lucky to gain airtime on Foxtel.

"Well it's a bit of a death cycle then isn't it? The league removes NBL from FTA TV which results in lower interests which they then use as an excuse for not putting it on FTA.

Whereas I believe putting games up on FTA (even by selling them dirt cheap to the networks) will generate interest which will in turn benefit the league over the long run."

agree and love the 1st paragraph

LC from what I remember it was the League at the time wanting a national FTA deal as most states had there own deal with a local TV station. Here in SA we started the NBL with 7 (I think) then it went to 10. Then nothing, before that the mens state league was shown by 9 as a replay because the late Stan Wickham use to use to host it. Back in the Apollo days.
To answer this question yes it has hurt the league in my opinion.

Is the Kennedy Family gun-shy?

Is the Pope Catholic?

Happy to see the online option this year - something innovative from the NBL. Still, coverage on One HD or similar simply must be a top-priority within the next few years. My non-basketball-caring friends at work have even noticed the vintage NBA games One has been showing recently.

The league went from Seven (FTA Deal) to Ten 9(FTA Deal) to ABC - where it had to pay for coverage.

ABC then said no more - even when the league were prepared to pay.

My understanding is that the Channel 9 thing in the last couple of years was also paid for in effect.

So any notion that the league took itself off FTA is wrong. The league has a PTV product, it does not have an FTA product at the moment. The only reason we have a PTV product is that FoxSports has to be able to squawk about live coverage and has three channels to fill with content.