WNBL should "expand" into LKs hands

Larry had the rights this year so not sure that's the answer.

Anyone who things NBL1 South is a better standard than WNBL is kidding themselves.

League needs to establish a salary cap or similar before expanding. It needs to better help contain the costs of clubs who often can't help themselves in order to compete otherwise other clubs may disappear.

But at some point, once the issues are addressed, then expansion SHOULD be on the agenda. Nowhere near enough spots for Aussie locals in the league given the depth we have in Australia and those emerging from junior and college levels.

Expansion is a nice thought, but as LC said we'd definitely need salary limits first. The budget gap between top & bottom is already far too big and on a dangerous trajectory.

But mostly I just hope Perth still has a team in the league next season. Sounds like it is not a given, which doesn't surprise me. Perth have put a fantastic product on the floor for the past 5 years but the support they're getting - both fan & corporate - doesn't seem to be that much greater than the Waves era.

What are peoples' thoughts on aligning WNBL with NBL sides?

I.e.
36ers/Lightning (Adelaide Represent)
Perth Wildcats/Perth Lynx (Perth Represent)
United/Boomers (Melbourne Represent)
Phoenix/Flyers (South-East Melbourne Represent)
NA/Bendigo (Country Vic Represent)
Brisbane/New team in Brisbane (Brisbane Represent)
Cairns/Townsville (North Queensland Represent)
Illawarra/Canberra Capitals (Ill/ACT Represent)
Sydney/Sydney Flames (Sydney Represent)
NZ Breakers/New team in NZ (NZ Represent)
Tasmania/Tasmania (Tasmania Represent in 2022)

10 NBL Sides/11 WNBL Sides

NZ, Brisbane or 2nd Sydney team ?
We have been able to sign some huge international imports + local players lately - which has been great - increased TV / on line coverage.

Put an extra team in and shorten season - maybe ?

Needs to be something that enhances the competition not burden it.

Yeah I think WNBL will increasingly struggle to be sustainable without utilising a synergy with the NBL/as best possible NBL owners.

Much like NBL1, you'd look at it with the following eyes: 1. Make WNBL cheaper to run (deduplicate roles, utilise NBL digital infrastructure etc.) 2. Try to provide the broader package to some sponsors to cover NBL & WNBL (chemist warehouse already does both!) 3. NBL gets greater revenue/sponsors/investors because they know LK has put investment into it, there is confidence in there, bring that over to the WNBL and there'll be more confidence for people to invest

New nbl,should have been built from,beginning with women's teams alongside.

Australia currently ranked 2nd in senior women will take a nose dive and drop out of top 10 before 2030 without a stable league.


But they have maintained that position for 20 years WITHOUT a stable league, the league is not going to effect their rankings, but it could certainly do with a major overhaul.

Those they have running it do diddly squat, its like amateur hour

People running the WNBL think it is fine. They'd rather it drift along like it is rather than raising a finger.

Those they have running it do diddly squat, its like amateur hour

Lightning have been awesome this season - off court, community involvement, social media etc all on the front foot - love the team !

Didn't Newcastle want to enter WNBL a few years ago.

That's why they paid the big money for Seebolm to go up there to coach and it all fell through.

Lots play basketball generally and the NBL struggles/struggled to get people watching.

There are sports people end up watching but not playing: AFL, Cricket

Plus there's international competitions that consumes viewership: EPL for soccer, NBA for basketball

Add in mismanagement and you’ve got your concoction.

Women’s Basketball now has to compete with a stronger netball plus a much stronger women’s cricket plus the previously nonexistent women’s afl. It’s really, really tough now for WNBL to make headway especially with zero capital behind them

"Anyone who things NBL1 South is a better standard than WNBL is kidding themselves."

Has anyone actually claimed this??

More women are playing basketball but why is no one watching WNBL?



Because it's impossible most times to get live stream, and unlike the men’s they only screen one game per week on fox sports. You have zero publicity, nothing ever in the papers or on radio, so how on earth are you supposed to gain followers when they literally, don’t even know they exist

The Women's Cricket team have been a world force for a long longggg time, only the last couple of years have they had any sort of decent coverage.

Matildas unlike the Socceroos are actually competitive on the world stage, again, minimal coverage.

At the moment regardless of success, it appears you need that critical mass behind you to get coverage - that’s something the AFL and cricket have been finally willing to do for women. Those leagues have always had the capital and influence behind them to do it.

The big positive with the NBL is they have a semblance of capital and influence with LK. The NBL won’t get laughed out of buildings anymore when they ask for things, but they still don’t come close to the mighty powers of cricket, afl, nrl etc.

WNBL doesn’t have that, and any real extent of "existing because you’re an institution of women’s sport" is already covered by netball and even they have gone through a fair of restructuring.

It probably needs to find its way on a community channel like NITV, rather than be on fox sports where nobody is watching. At least when people are channel surfing, they may stumble on it, just like I have when i caught a state league baseball game on there a while back :)

Like most here, I cant see much hope for the WNBL in its current form.

People are more likely to channel surf to NITV than Fox Sports?

Really? I dont believe that for a moment

Im assuming more people have FTA than Foxtel, therefore NITV is more accessible. Would seem to be a more suitable channel for a league like the WNBL, in my opinion.

NITV gets 0.1-0.2% market share, in comparison, SBS Viceland receives 1-2% market share; other non-main FTA stations tend to receive 2-4%.

NITV is virtually non-existent, Fox Sports ratings would be significantly higher than NITV, with the benefit of also being played by pubs, bars etc. and at the very minimum be directed towards sports lovers who might actually stay to watch it.

IF the NBL's main coverage was NITV that would be a total disaster.

So you think putting WNBL on a channel like NITV that e en less people watch is the way to go, simply on the off chance that someone flicking through channels may find it.

Give it a rest LOL

That's the last thing WNBL needs, what they need is a proactive board of management that will fight to get their product on mainstream tv, or at least provide reliable and repeatable streaming
Not hard, if NBL 1 can do it for ten times the amount of teams , surely getting 8 teams exposure each week isn’t that blasted difficult

If the NBL is being shown on NITV only then yes it would be a disaster.

FWIW the NBA and NBL get replays shown on NITV

Relax, its just a suggestion! I dont see the WNBL being overly successful in its current form on Foxtel and whos to say they still want it. Thier track record for hoops isnt very reassuring (though jo channel is in that case) It may be that they need to explore less desirable means of TV coverage, if it means getting more coverage shown, if they want to expand.

Relax, its just a suggestion! I dont see the WNBL being overly successful in its current form on Foxtel and whos to say they still want it.

Perhaps SBS is next haha

NBL isn't really sought by TV networks, all WNBL has to leverage tv networks into showing their product is federal government funding/tv licence regulations, sadly.

SBS have done a really positive job with NBL and additional content including wnbl highlights. hopefully a match of the week is something that can happen ASAP.

WNBL should worry about staying afloat before expansion.

A Salary cap is certainly required before expansion over this league will go the way of the old NBL

An AFL team even in the future, say 5 years time, would probably dent an established tassie team: ie valuable sponsorship dollars, gov grants, memberships (how many can afford both afl and nbl memberships?)

it's moot