Hoops

NBL Booming: AFR

@AngusH

You say you often have a newborn when it comes to your weekend planning. That seems like alot of newborn children

I dont see how you have any time for NBL with all the baby making your doing

I don't plan my weekend around games outside of the Kings, but if I'm home (and with a newborn, that's often the case), then it's on, even if its in the background. I also have NBA League Pass but the last 3 years or so I'm much more likely to watch a Hawks-Taipans game than I am just about NBA matchup unless there is something particularly noteworthy about it.

I've noticed some of the guys I play ball with have attempted to get into the league a little, especially the last two seasons with names like Randle/Tyler and (unfortunately) Blake last year, but the overall experience with NBL.tv has not been a good one and has turned a few of them off it altogether if they don't have foxtel.

Hello, i watch every single game there is. I schedule my whole weekend so it doesn't clash with the NBL.

NBL is alive and kicking where I am.

If i do miss an odd game i watch the highlights (because NBL.tv doesn't have replays, Heal's 3 pt shooting contests, Bloopers, Post Match Interviews replays etc).

Re: not being on a mainstream channel - again absolutely correct.

The big bash registered sub 200k on Fox Sports but gets over a million on Channel Ten.

On one it was just another cricket league on Paytv while on ten it’s this entertainment product on a summer where people can’t help but tune in and those who aren’t interested are dragged into watching and get immersed.

NBLs next big moves are expansion, cross town rivalry in Victoria and getting shown on Nine Seven or Ten in prime time. Obviously Ten has big bash so that’s a no go plus Ten hates NBL and NBL hates Ten. Nine has prime time covered by international cricket. Seven save for the Tennis period is ideal.

Anon is absolutely right.

If we see on a Friday night Hawks v Geelong we would watch it. If there are two top teams we’d watch it. If saints were playing against a top team and managed to be close and we spotted it on tv we’d keep viewing hoping for a fascinating upset.

NBL if it’s not our team we don’t care.

Question is, how do we change that?

Yes, yes, yes, okay we all know about Perth and its fans and how everyone loves to hate them, bla bla bla, now let's get back on track here...

I see the NBL as hitting close to its peek for now, especially with the current group of teams and scheduling. There isn't much more room to rocket forward, except maybe introducing NBA teams playing downunder to spark additional fan interest.

The next surge in the NBL will likely come when we add maybe an additional Victorian team and another team somewhere, which will excite fans and create more potential rivalry games.

It's going according to plan, now we consolidate and make plans for the next phase, no need to get too complex over things and worry about ratings, they appear to be going in the right direction for now.

If a ref makes a call against the Wildcats in Perth the other 2 refs are usually pretty quick to put him back on the right track.

If a ref get's booed in Perth he should pat himself on the back because generally he will be correct.

Lots of spin but no financial figures mentioned.

In any league you'll see big clubs and smaller clubs with the big clubs often carrying the small clubs - this happens because the big clubs have the resources and/or markets to succeed while the others don't but at the end of the day you NEED clubs to play against. Every game can't be Perth v Melbourne.

The class divide always exists - the hard part is ensuring two things:

1) The smaller clubs are still sustainable; and 2) the smaller clubs can be just as competitive and likely to win the championship

The AFL is reasonable at #1 save for a few clubs requiring debt demolition strategies. AFL comes to its own strength with #2 where history shows anyone can get themselves to the big show and win it all. I think Adelaide and Richmond were the two clubs with the biggest Grand Final droughts - given they're two huge clubs, that emphasizes the point!

Read the article this morning and is similar to previous articles spruiking the league and LK. Hey its better than hearing about how dead basketball is right? So thats a good sign.

Still, Its a bit too Perth and Melbourne focussed (as usual). Love what Melbourne basketball is becoming now. A casual 8200 on a Monday night against the bottom team. Things are going well in Melbourne it seems, and Adelaide Cairns and NZ have solid programs.

But still a long way to go yet. Brisbane and Illawarra have a lot of work to do to get crowds and interest up as does Sydney to get to Melbourne's level of interest (winning would help), and then eventally Perth's level. A positive article yes, but a lot of work is still needed.