Live on ESPN and 10Peach at 7.30pm

36ers v SEM Christmas Eve at 5.30pm live on ESPN AEDT

A shit idea

I'm all for giving it a try, and letting the crowds/ratings be the judge.

"I'm all for giving it a try, and letting the crowds/ratings be the judge. "

Yep. We'll be at Qudos. No idea how many others will, but it's worth a try.

For me the players already get flogged. Now you take their Christmas. I don't rate it personally, but each to their own

The Kings brains trust been trying to get this going for a few seasons at least... At least now we'll be able to see if they're onto something or as stupid as a lot of us think...

If it's going to work, surely the season following a championship win where they hope to improve on already improving attendance numbers, is when it will work...

I'm sure they've weighed up the numbers or members being away on holidays and how many more randoms they will be able to draw in... Everyone might not celebrate Xmas, but it's usually the time most people get the most time off work, so they're more likely to be going out of the city...

Will be an interesting case study for sure...

I like the idea, whether Sydney is the place for it is another question. I feel like somewhere like Cairns would be good for it, except that they also play NYE and it's their big go-to game.

People said Good Friday footy and Easter footy are bad ideas too - but for me it was the obvious thing for the AFL to do.

By Christmas night, most people are tired and done for the day, that lends itself to a decent TV audience. Might not do so we’ll crowds wise but I love the idea from a TV point of view.

If the players are against it, what would be the recourse, raise it through the players association? I would be fine if the players were united against it, haven't heard peep from them so far but I imagine stuff will start to leak out through social media if that's the case.

Finally!

Corey Webster posted on the NBL facebook post in a negative way

"A first for Australian professional sport." Just then, on radio news.

I love it, great get out "clause" for awkward annual in law interactions.

"For me the players already get flogged. Now you take their Christmas. I don't rate it personally, but each to their own"

The players get paid 100K or more to play 20-something games of basketball. I am happy to trade places.

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The 'Christmas Game" idea has been floated consistently over the past few years and it was only a matter of time before they tried it. A lot of bored people after Christmas lunch, all together looking for something mindless to watch. There will be reruns of Judge Judy and King of Queens and Everyone Loves Raymond, or there will be LIVE sport. Anyone with a passing interest in basketball will probably flick on the basketball. It is definitely a prime opportunity to catch eyeballs. If the players eventually want to be making more money than they currently do, they need to suck it up and do the things that help the league grow. If that means a postponed Christmas Day celebration then it is what it is.

It's a 7.30 game so Christmas lunch is probably irrelevant. And there is now was players 8-12 are getting 100k a year smh

Should've happened earlier. I'll definitely be watching.

Definitely good for potential TV audience. Fans in the building? Who knows. worth a shot.

You need staff in the arena too and penalty rates should ensure that people will work, especially these days with people from all different backgrounds who may not want to celebrate christmas

I am on the fence on this one. But basketball really has no big calendar event for casuals. AFL has multiple big games, NRL has origin, cricket has Boxing Day test. If done well, it could result in Christmas Day being Basketballs day of days.

I would like to see it expanded if this tester goes well. I would do a triple header from mid arvo say a 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm game. I think you would find a lot of TVs on in the back ground this way.

Hell you could even run a seperate event for the past years top 4 and have a Christmas Cup or something.

My issue is I don't see a crowd turning up.

"You need staff in the arena too and penalty rates should ensure that people will work, especially these days with people from all different backgrounds who may not want to celebrate christmas"

Also a good point. I think if there was some sort of bonus for the players+staff involved as well it would be a nice touch - maybe there is already on public holidays, no idea actually.

League should promote the hell out of it too, because I think lots of people would be tuning in on Christmas day with nothing else but Christmas movie re-runs on TV...

" Christmas Day being Basketballs day of days"

Which it is in the nba ofcourse, so in a sense it's not a totally ridiculous concept. They could piggy back off of what the NBA does a little bit.

I'm not a fan and probably won't be watching.

But, if you're doing it, do it once and then make a decision. Either drop it, or commit to 6 years of it.

NBL needs more traditions. What happened to the open air Boxing Day games at John Cain? Disappeared.

I'd prefer they just stuck with something. Even if it's something I don't like. Quit the chopping and changing.

Just like teams- how good has it been having basically consistent teams in the NBL for 12 years now (with only 1 change ie Townsville/Brisbane, and 2 additions more recently).

I agree with you to a point - I think locking anything in for multiple years is good in theory but you want to be able to also be able to pivot on the fly and leave bad decisions behind. If it's miserable failure and all you see are empty seats in the crowd and players puffing up and the down the court after eating 1.5kgs of roast turkey, move on. If it only goes OK, maybe look to switch it up next season - maybe one game instead of two, maybe a replay of the previous Finals teams, etc.

The chop and changing stuff shits me as a fan at times, especially with the lack of consistency around Next Stars, but at the end of the day whatever leads to the better product is the right way to go, and that's the driving factor for most of the NBL's decisions. I don't disagree with that view if I try and be a little impartial.

I think there were extenuation circumstances as to why open air games fell off. I am sure they'll be back. I think we're getting a little pussified when it comes to the Christmas games though. The league should consider whether it's the right move for the league and its bottom line. The employees should accept that the league's bottom line ultimate effects their own and should suck it up, basically. No one wants to work on Christmas or birthdays but inevitably many of us do. That's life. It could end up being huge for the league and open it up to new audiences, or it could crash and burn. But they'd be silly not to try.

I think there were extenuation circumstances as to why open air games fell off. I am sure they'll be back. I think we're getting a little pussified when it comes to the Christmas games though. The league should consider whether it's the right move for the league and its bottom line. The employees should accept that the league's bottom line ultimate effects their own and should suck it up, basically. No one wants to work on Christmas or birthdays but inevitably many of us do. That's life. It could end up being huge for the league and open it up to new audiences, or it could crash and burn. But they'd be silly not to try.

Not a fan at all having a game on Christmas Day. Christmas in Australia is meant for seeing family not copying what the US do...

Luckily most people have their Christmas lunches which gives them a chance to go. But seriously why does the nbl keep sleeping on the Open Air game on Boxing Day?

I've been to a few and they should make it an annual event. I’m sick how the nbl keep chop and changing their games.

Viewership for the game may be good but I can only see the SuperDome being half capacity. If they could get 10,000+ then that’s upped my expectation.

Sucks the nbl are staying with a 28-game regular season. It makes the fixtures so uneven with who plays at home twice and who plays away once.

I was a big fan of the 36 games but just have more games in each round. Last couple of seasons was a bit of a joke how some teams didn’t even play in one of the rounds. Have a max that teams have to play twice in every round. The most in one round could be 3 games max like they use to do when the nbl had 12 teams with Singapore and the South Dragons.

A lotta main stream media
Radio 5aa sports show 'don't want them playing basketball on christmas day'

Patience NBLTigers fan

Christmas Day is meant for people to do whatever they want to do, if they want to watch bball then cool

Exactly, KET. The people will tell the NBL whether they want it or not via their viewership or otherwise.

time for the people involved to spend with family and friends.
I support NYE game more.

I like it - great move by the NBL to try something new
I'll certainly be watching - with my family after Christmas celebrations - nice way to end the day

I remember CG43 being asked about it previously - and he said something like he was up for it if they would get good crowds at the game.

Great idea absolutely nothing on TV on Christmas night and by that stage you've had a gutful of the whole day and itching to watch sport or something. Making sure it's live on FTA too is shrewd no doubt ESPN/Kayo would've badly wanted this exclusively.

I know people who don't celebrate Christmas and they struggle to find something to do on the day. From that angle alone it may work as there won't be anything else vying for their entertainment dollars.

I don't mind it, I will be watching on tv.

I just hope players on both teams are accommodated with a few days break in the schedule around the Christmas game so they have the chance to spend time with family.

Honestly can't wait. Hoops on a Christmas Day evening, fantastic idea.

Given the increasing proportion of population in Australia (especially Sydney that don't celebrate Christmas really), great move I’d say. Christmas isn’t as untouchable as people think.

The exact comments above were the same things heard about Easter Football, ANZAC day etc.
If the NBL wants to get on the same level as the AFL, this is what they need to do.

They were bold about Tasmania, caught the AFL napping and it’s paid off, they’re doing the same with Darwin, let’s see what happens there. NBL has some serious momentum at the moment so they just need to keep it rolling.

Great idea as never much happening on tv on Xmas day. So getting in some hoops between Xmas puddings and Xmas napkins be perfection.. it's season og good will and good hoops.. be even better to like have a Xmas in July game to set the tone. Missing out on ball. Can't get enuff..

Let's not pretend the teams playing in the Boxing Day game got to spend Christmas at home with family in past years. They weren't teleporting into Melbourne the day of the game.

Not really any different on that front.

I'd kinda like to see a tradition of Sydney v Hawks Christmas Day, Melbourne v SEM Boxing Day, Cairns v Brisbane on NYE.

But I guess if you’re billing a TV game, you’d want to interest multiple states, in which case Sydney v Melbourne makes a lot of sense