Hoops

NBL close to securing landmark free-to-air television deal

“For the record Bathurst pulls (more) eyeballs globally than AFL”

Very appropriate visual.

Pulling/stabbing etc eyeballs was an established method of torturing those heretics who didn’t follow the orthodox view. Exactly how I feel about the V8s.

LOL @ AFL and Bathurst in the same sentence as "globally" bwahahaha!

What was that rant above about Bathurst? LOL, that race is irrelevant in this day and age. It is a relic of the past, no one cares for it anymore except the older generation bogan Ford and Holden fans. Hahahaha, what a hilarious viewpoint. NBL playing that weekend is fine.

If 9 gets it Bill Lawry could do special comments.

Imagine him and homicide trading cheap shots.

Thanks KET. Well in that case Channel 9 would be my preference then. I just can't trust Ten even with new management. And honestly if it gets put on Gem or Go its still a great outcome. I dont see that as being a big problem. It would already be a massive upgrade on SBS and definitely ABC as far as ratings and commercial potential.

And dont forget a lot of AFL is shown on 7mate so to keep things in perspective, for the NBL to be shown on Go or Gem would still be a big win for the sport.

It's almost a joke to suggest that channel 10-one has Motorsport as they basically only show MotoGP live and predominantly the coverage of Supercars and F1s is highlight packages...

It was asked if NBL would clash with Supercars and the answer is Bathurst weekend, Gold Coast and Newcastle but I'd hope that NBL would alter their schedule around things such as Bathurst (I absolutely hate that NBL games are played in NSW that weekend, let Motorsport have that weekend and get Illawarra and Sydney to have Doomsday Doubles or Sunshine swings (can Brisbane be included in that?).

I would love to have channel 7 have the NBL but not under the current sporting landscape, it has to be channel 9... but my fear is that they will use NBL to promote NRL season non-stop and then try and put NBL on GEM or GO! when playoffs come around to appease their NRL audiences but we can only hope that the NBL is a ratings winner and that channel 9 will want to show playoffs on main channel.

Ten have the A-League and I thought they still had the BBL? If 7 have BBL as well then yeah I'd rather the NBL on 9. Although tennis takes up a lot of prime time too.

Channel 7 just got the rights to the cricket including the Big Bash signing with them would be disastrous.

Nine (Tennis) or Ten (no more Big Bash) are the only sensible options.

If Ten pick up the coverage, I hope there's an iron clad agreement to show games live as intented - not a loosely worded verion of "near-live". Even if the people at Ten now are different to those who shafted the league, I still cant trust this network.

Personally I would like to see Seven get the coverage (if not, then 9). They are the biggest and most successful network, have the best ratings, and their secondary chanels 7mate and 7two are much more popular than One.

Habsa - the One money was not "big" by any means. It was a pittance.

The contract BA signed with TEN sounded good in principle but it was the 'near live' clause in the contract that hurt.

^^incorrect. OneHD were throwing around big $$.
Fox sports were not in ballpark $$ wise, especially after the viewing
Numbers of NBL games on fox sports were poor

Expansion is the following season.

“Even if it is a better commercial deal for me, I still won’t do it if it doesn’t suit basketball.

“That is how the sport got itself into trouble in the first place."

clear dig at BA, and on target IMHO

Yeah the goal of this deal would be exposure and not having to pay for the broadcasts anymore. I think Fox has all the Boomers games for a number of years but NBL has the two Team USA v Boomers game next year as I think the NBL are the promoters for the event. Those two games are arguably more important for a broadcaster than any qualifiers or World Cup games.

A similar concept at NBA league pass should work.
NBL games all still on app for monthly fee. If the game is on FTA tv is will be blacked out on the app to make you tune in. I think that will be the model TV would be happy with. Win win either way. Full replays accessible on app though

I think the goal for this broadcast deal isn't about making a huge profit, it's about getting the best mainstream exposure to draw in fans and sponsors. In another few years or so is when the NBL will try signing big contacts for big profits.

If it comes off, this will be huge.

For the foreseeable future, the NBL needs mainstream media to attract mainstream sponsors (ie some of those with deep pockets and businesses to cross-promote the sport with like HJ’s was with discounts and freebies last season).

If it comes off, could we have a network localising the broadcast like 7 do with AFL? On Qld and NSW channels, they televise the “local” teams’s games. In practice this means I can often choose between 2 games in the same or overlapping time slots. It’s usually a supposedly good game and a “local team” game. This could potentially mean 2 states getting a broadcast of game X, with some other games going nation-wide as a “game of the day” deal. SBS can’t offer that advantage.

Whichever network takes it, they’ll obviously also want Boomers’ games longer term, especially when the NBA guys can play. Potential or reigning Olympic medallists tend to attract that sort of interest.

Even getting this article published in the Newscorp paper that’s the biggest self-interested promoter of NRL is a big step forward.

LK isn’t perfect, but his promotion of the product seems to be attracting more commercial interest than we’ve ever had since the good old 1980s and early 1990s.

Good job ME. There is no I in team but there is a ME.

Good to hear there is interest, but frankly it would be embarrassing if there wasn't considering the Boomers vs USA rights will be attached to the deal. I'd say that the 'we'll get the best deal for basketball even if it isn't the best commercial deal' talk is in response to offers from networks who are willing to pay for those games but not willing to commit to the actual NBL product.

Sounds to me like it will be a shared deal between Fox and Channel 9 or 10. Hopefully its main channel exposure too not on One or GEM. Good signs though, he's got the best in the business negotiating.

Yes LK is paying for the TV coverage. Because no one wanted it. Last I heard was $3mill.

No surprise they are all interested now that Bogut is playing. So every team will likely have 4 games on free to air - when they play Sydney

All the LK bashers are getting pushed further under their rocks where they live. Can you even imagine if BA were still in charge where we'd be with this TV situation... or anything for that matter.

LK thank you! This will be big.

LK the god

I read it, a rather vague hype up piece.

It said Ch9 and 10 are front runners.

Oh, it's working for me and I don't have a subscription?

That's the paywall article no one can read.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/basketball/resurgent-nbl-competition-closing-in-on-landmark-freetoair-television-deal-with-a-commercial-network/news-story/9aedb5f9ac373fa8a2b4289be2044fc6

Great news, sounds like things are heading in the right direction. Hopefully get a good deal and some great coverage next season.

There is a rumour going around that Nathan Jawai is coming back to the Taipans next year. Wants to play under Fearne