Biggest deal in league history.

All games on Foxtel and Kayo plus 2 games/week on Kayo Freebies.

Coles Express NBL1 games of the week from 2022 and national championship games on Kayo Freebies

Key points out of the presser:

Biggest medial deal in ESPN History

3 Year Deal

All 140 NBL games on ESPN platforms (incl Kayo)

Coles Express NBL1 games of the week and national championships on Kayo

NZ to broadcast through ESPN

Free to air partner made in due course

NZ's broadcasting deal remains the same with Sky Sports TV still showing all the games.

$45 million - we should all thank Stan Sport for creating competition in the bidding process for the rights.

Much prefer ESPN as well so it's a win win.

Definitely Stan's desperation to get any sport was a big help for the NBL here. The league did well to take full advantage.

Even if, as I suspect, the deal includes very little actual cash changing hands, if the league can increase their media exposure through the Murdoch press (gross) and no longer have to pay its own television production costs it's a winner

Great news... Really happy it's staying with ESPn

Both still with much more rusted on support and in turn bigger broadcast deals. They certainly need to turn things around from a recent decline though.

FTA games should be the local games. All 36ers games get shown into Adelaide. Away games live and home games 30min delay. Best way for FTA stations to get rating and also helps grow local
Interest for the local team. AFL use to do this and it worked.

This is a fantastic deal for the NBL with the understanding that there will also be a FTA partner. Hopefully that will be SBS again but I wouldn't complain with Ten again. Getting a notoriously hostile News Corp on board is a masterstroke too.

Thank you Stan Sport and well done to LK and the NBL for making this happen.

Congratulations LK. Your hard work and dedication has brought local basketball back to prominence in Australia. Thank you.

This is my main takeaway from it. More news coverage, hopefully leads to more people attending and watching games. I have often thought other sports get a lot more hype and puff pieces to generate interest in games.

The crux of why this is the NBL's biggest deal comes down to the monetary aspect really - they've had all games broadcast for a little while under LK.

I wonder why $$$ details haven't been released? Assuming it's in that $15-20m mark as reported, that would be an absolute monster deal for the NBL and credit to LK.

Re FTA - I expect it will be SBS again - Foxtel/ESPN won't necessarily want a main FTA network having the product they're paying for and a main FTA network won't necessarily be happy to show two NBL games when they will have their own sports they have more rights to that they can peddle in summer.

I'd expect those two Kayo Freebies games to be the two games broadcast on FTA - likely mid-arvo Sat & Sun games?

Hopefully that will be SBS again but I wouldn't complain with Ten again

^^ I agree.
Larry has had his critics over the years. His team has undoubtedly made some mistakes along the way... but hell, what team doesn't!?

The level of professionalism they have brought to the administration of the professional game in this country is nothing short of amazing. What’s incredibly encouraging is how they have prioritised and supported the development pathways (NBL1, AIS, NBA Global Academy) and their links to junior basketball which will guarantee the long term success of the sport and the league(s).

Having been fortunate to meet and speak to Larry, I for one never doubted him or his vision. Hopefully this is another step towards him gaining the respect (from all members of the basketball community) he so richly deserves.

LK deserves a medal for what he’s done. He’s saved basketball in this country.

This is great news. A deal the NBL could only dream of in the past.

LK has done well for basketball in this country.

Do not forget or overlook the timing. If Australia medals in Tokyo will go through the roof. If we GOLD, ... "to the moon, Alice, to the moon!"

I wonder why $$$ details haven't been released? Assuming it's in that $15-20m mark as reported, that would be an absolute monster deal for the NBL and credit to LK.

Bullets, I tend to agree - the professionalism and investment has been consistent and beyond what seemed to be originally proposed. Deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

"LK deserves a medal for what he's done. He’s saved basketball in this country"

Vom

Cram, after this you've really got to think about putting away that LK voodoo doll now.

Nah

" It's been reported as $45 million."

Over a three year span?

Where was this reported today?

In the Sydney Morning Herald.

Someone even pasted part of the article in this thread. Reply #862825.

You're entitled to your opinion Cram but what’s your reason?

That just reads like they're saying LK pursued 15-20mil per year so therefore over three years it’s likely to be over $45mil

Because LK took over the Melbourne Tigers and changed their name to United, Cram was a diehard Tigers supporter.

Great deal if the reports of $$$ are true. Wonder if this will also include games being made available to the international market, especially throughout Asia and USA.

There will always be idiots out there who find fault but to me, this is yet another home run for LK and the NBL.

Can we take a moment to appreciate where we were before Larry took over? We were very very close to extinction and all games were running off an absolutely woeful NBL app.

Now there's a 20-something million a year deal on ESPN, all games shown live, two free to air games, a deal with bloody news corp even. I mean how could anyone say that what the team has done is anything less than a miracle?

News Corp has even agreed to hire a full time basketball writer. Having News Corp on side may very well be the most important part of this entire deal.

This is the golden era of the NBL and Australian basketball right now.

"Because LK took over the Melbourne Tigers and changed their name to United, Cram was a diehard Tigers supporter."

Melbourne United now fills stadiums. What were the Melbourne Tigers doing before Larry came in? Oh that's right.... struggling to fill half of a 3000 seat tennis center. lol.

"Maybe use a couple of mill to align all the wnbl teams.

We still have bendigo as a team ffs"



Ummm.... why? That's Basketball Australia's problem.

NBL was a national embarrassment 10 years ago. Shit the NBL had to pay channels to play them. Couldn't get the media to write an article about them that didn't make a comment including "basket case".

Now ESPN is paying the NBL 20 million a season and the NBL also has partnered with fucking news corp.

Cram

"yeah but Larry still sucks".

But why? The NBL needs to sustain itself first, you want us throwing charity to the WNBL? Maybe once we can pay our own teams to run...

ESPN isn't paying $20m a season. The deal includes exposure etc and probably covers production costs and a little actual cash. It's a good deal, as I have already said. Let's not pretend it's more than it is though

Which brings me to, my disagreement with the way LK does things is more than just the Tiger issue, though that alone was enough to turn me off him. Just quickly, I don't believe what he has done has saved the league as much as propped it up. There's merit in that tooz no doubt, but if LK walks away for some reason, the league falls over. One person's involvment is not the sign of a league that can sustain itself, but that's the model he's built. I'm also not a fan of the import exceptions or next stars program which take minutes and $ away from Australian players and relegate our national league Tina second rate g league. There's also transparency and governance issues as well as constant fluffing by people on these boards.

But feel free to go along with the "Cram is salty about the Tigers changing their name" narrative.

I really don't get the whole "oh no, not enough jobs for Australians" thing. Take away one of the import spots and a next star and what kind of scrubs will be seeing minutes in the league? And also, who is going to pay to see it?

There are already Aussie scrubs getting minutes in this league who shouldn't be playing basketball in a league that takes itself seriously. There are also guys who are a bit better than absolute scrub, but that make a consistent living making NO noticeable improvements to their games because they know they're the best Aussie players available, so why should they try harder?

A fire needs to be burned under their asses.

I don't get the argument that the NBL shouldn't be a 'development league' when we talk about Next Stars, and yet we're meant to be developing these garbage Aussie players who aren't going to develop into much anyway. Name a team and I'll name you at least two Aussie guys with nothing going for them who somehow have a job. At least with Next Stars there is a commercial benefit to having them here.

So many Aussie players in this league are either past their used by date, offer nothing, or wont develop into anything. They're players doing the absolute bare minimum. The league should have access to a better standard than Brendan Teys if it wants to actually become commercially viable. And how the hell does Jarred Bairstow have a contract if this league is really so hard on Australian players?

" just the Tiger issue, though that alone was enough to turn me off him. Just quickly, I don't believe what he has done has saved the league as much as propped it up."

Pretty sure this deal is about helping the league stand on its own feet into the future... but anyway!

I've acknowledged this is a good deal. It's still far from ensuring anything long term.

And yeah, who wants to see Australians play the national league? Should all just be imports hey? Wonder why so many young Hooper's are switching to footy?

This deal with ESPN, Foxtel, Kayo & News Corp is for $15 million a season.

I agree somewhat that if guys like Jarred Bairstow can get 3 year deals you can't make an argument that Aussies are being denied roster spots. Five minutes ago he was rotting away in the QBL.

I'm not gonna get into this crap again. I've made my point and it's off topic.

A good deal. Well done to those involved.

I didn't say it should all be imports but I wouldn't be peeling import spots or next star spots back any further because there are some absolute scrubs getting minutes in this league. I doubt even if we dropped all restrictions we'd ever have less than 6 or 7 Aussies on any team, the difference will be those Aussies will be good enough and there will be more interest in the league because it will be a better league.

'Wonder why so many young Hooper's are switching to footy?"

They do it because there isnt money in basketball. There isn't money in basketball because there hasnt been commercial interest. To keep commercial interest, you need the league to be entertaining. Guys like Teys and Jarred Bairstow getting minutes doesnt contribute to that entertainment factor.

If these players are good enough or they really have potential they'll always get a shot. But how many Jarred Bairstows, brendan Teyses, Daniel Joyces or whatever other jock strap player do you need to see before you're okay with having a next star take their minutes?

If you want Aussie players to develop, you want them to play in the best possible competition. If that means a scrub doesnt get a shot but an import does, that import will help make the Aussie that DOES get that shot, a better player.

Clearly there are guys in the league who shouldn't be there. Our talent pool isn't that incredibly deep. I mean look at the Jack Jumpers. How many of those players do you really think are any good?

So what does this mean for Twitch streaming outside Australia? Or is Kayo available internationally?

Wonder why so many young Hooper's are switching to footy

So what does this mean for Twitch streaming outside Australia? Or is Kayo available internationally?

(Kayo is Australia-only.)

So that fairfax article when read in its entirety is a lot more helpful.

Whilst there's not explicit breakdown of how much $$$, it does give a lot more confidence to the idea that it's a $15mil p/y deal.

That's absolutely fantastic. A bit of assistance in the fractured streaming war delivering over-pay for rights (something we ought to keep in mind for 3 years time if we don't happen to get such a good financial deal) and no doubt what LK has done has put NBL in a position to even be considered for this.

10 Coles Express NBL1 games of the week from 2022 and national championship games available on Kayo Freebies

You would think something better is in the works re: FTA coverage otherwise today's announcement would have included the continuance of SBS' involvement.

Perhaps we will see the following season a cap increase by $400k to $2mil?

" The cap is based on the previous year's salary spend."

Yes, that's how it is now.

Given the new deal, that mechanism may change.

Change is a thing that is possible in life. Did you know that?

I think I’ve enlightened you.

Thanks for your “classic unhelpful KR post”.

And if that money filters through, teams will spend it on salary and the cap will increase organically.

No point increasing it just because.

That's called trickledown economics and people who aren’t dumb enough to use it as an argument know the inherent flaws in it. Those who are silly enough to use it as an argument will never have the capacity to understand why it doesn’t work out.

There are also obvious aspects to agreements and relationships as to why clear tracing of particular portions of money being used in a particular way is beneficial. It’s a common aspect of business relationships.

So it wouldn’t be "just because" it would be “because that’s how things often work in business”

Hope you have been further enlightened.

If the cap hadn't been increasing every year, that argument would make sense.

The argument makes sense, and the cap increasing every year is completely irrelevant.

Perhaps you can cast aside your own perception that you understand what makes sense and doesn't?

"Yeh players aren't leaving for afl, Bradke son and Wilson that come straight off the top of my head, there are others. It's a great deal but let’s don’t distort the facts."

I love idiotic, rambling comments that answer the comment no one made.

No one said basketball players didnt turn to the NBL so what exactly are you arguing against?

" ESPN will air all but two games each round exclusively, and also have all key matches throughout the NBL Finals series exclusively. Games two and three of each Semi Final series and game three onwards in the Grand Final series will be live and exclusive to ESPN."

Interesting- how do we feel about this? I guess this is what they pay the big bucks for?

Well, they're paying a lot of money. Would you blame them for wanting exclusivity?

there's a school of thought for a lot of people where they think they deserve things for free. They seem to think that the NBL should be this awesome, multimillion dollar product, but that they personally should have to pay exactly nothing for it.

I've seen everyone's favourite "Clint Dogg" make comments all over Facebook and Twitter about how he wont pay for a 'scrub league'. I guess, that wont stop him from talking about it now will it?

That classic Clint Dogg attitude is common in this space. People want to talk shit about a product, talk down about it, gain from it, but not spend a single cent.

How do I feel about having to pay for it? I might have a bit of financial hardship ahead actually. But when I weigh up my priorities I have to decide if I can fit NBL basketball into the list of bills I have.

At $25 a month, yes I can. So I do. Everyone will have to make their value assessments on that. But to go around complaining about not getting something for free that actually needs funding to exist, that's just stupidity.

Who's complaining

There are people complaining all over facebook

I've seen everyone's favourite "Clint Dogg" make comments all over Facebook and Twitter about how he wont pay for a 'scrub league'. I guess, that wont stop him from talking about it now will it?

Playoffs have always been on FTA previously, so that's a big shift.

Yeah and thats unfortunate but the league needs to fund itself somehow.

Clint Dogg is on Centrelink so he can't afford to pay for it.