Should the NBLC buy TV time?

[JJSA]

Alright...well here we are in the midst of season 3 and generally speaking the NBLC has been a success thus far. Of course there have been the typical bumps in the road so far; and there will continue to be bumps for the foreseeable future. But all in all, business seems to be doing alright, and as we all know certainly the on court product has increased by leaps and bounds each season.

While the webcasts are good, and the quality of them has been increasing thanks to league wide coverage by SportsLive this season; it's very clear that the league needs to be on TV to help grow the fan base and attract team sponsors and league sponsors. In his recent preseason interview with NBLC LIVE, Commissioner Riley seemed to down play the need for a television partner. I was shocked.

To the point, as it stands right now it would appear that there are no networks that believe the NBLC is worth their time as it stands. Should the league BUY TV time? It's not uncommon at all. I guess the question is how much would it cost and would the return be worth the investment for the league. With CBC Sports being a shell of it's former self in terms of properties one would think that buying a weekly Saturday or Sunday afternoon slot for a "Game of the Week" would come at a (somewhat) reasonable price, and it would surely bring the league to another level on a NATIONAL platform. (And don't forget Riley has STRONG ties with CBC).

Picture being able to watch the NBLC "Game of the Week" on CBC every weekend all season long in 2014/2015. (It would also be VERY important for it to be the same time slot every week so people know exactly where and when to catch the games.)

I say pull those strings, Commissioner Riley! Let's get growing our league!  

I'd LOVE to hear everyone's thoughts on this, for it? against it?

[Penguin022]

YES! YES! YES!

I'd love to see a regular NBLC game on TV. It would raise the fan base and bring in more money for the NBLC. It sounds like a perfectly reasonable idea.

They already have guys recording the games. It won't be that hard to get it on TV! They should have the equipment. If their good enough to do all of THIS. They should get games on TV.

The NBLC can't get rid of this idea. It's a great way to share to Canada what the NBLC is and why to support it.

I wanna see NBLC on TV!

[JJSA]

I caught an NBLC/Mississauga Power add on NBA TV earlier tonight and came to my mind that NBA TV could be another possible TV partner for the league. They currently air WNBA and D League games; and yes those are both owned by the NBA; but they also air Euroleague games. So who knows...

[Evad]

I think it's just the four of us watching this forum and posting on it. 
In regards to this topic it would be cool to have the games on an "ESPN" like sports station. It wouldn't help me much being in the states, but it would be cool seeing high lights on the major sports stations down here. I have friends that live in Calgary and they follow the Crush, so a national T.V. presence would encourage them to go to games more.

[JJSA]

I think it's just the four of us watching this forum and posting on it. 

Welcome back, Evad! Don't worry, we are just ahead of the pack...there will be many more people joining us here soon.  

[Penguin022]

Yes, welcome back, Evad!

This is a great for the NBLC. Since they've already gotten on NBA TV. I can see them getting on other sports channels such as ESPN and TSN. Go NBLC!

[JJSA]

Leo Rautins backs me up on this. (I always knew he was a smart man)  


http://www.lfpress.com/2014/02/18/leo-rautins-says-nbl-has-lots-of-room-for-improvement

[cflsteve]

I caught an NBLC/Mississauga Power add on NBA TV earlier tonight and came to my mind that NBA TV could be another possible TV partner for the league. They currently air WNBA and D League games; and yes those are both owned by the NBA; but they also air Euroleague games. So who knows...

I think that having a deal in place with NBATV Canada would be a nice start. Since the network already shows D league, WNBA, Euroleague Broadcasts it would not be a stretch for the network to show Broadcasts of NBLC as well.
As discussed in another Forum most teams already have their home games Broadcast on RogerTV for their region and Halifax on Eastlink it would be of no Broadcast cost to NBATV Canada to simulcast the games on RogersTV or Eastlink.
I imagine there would be a simulcast fee but I would think that would be of very little cost.
Now if NBATV Canada were to have there own Broadcast crew do the games that would be much more expensive.
I am sure just like NBA TV in the states that they would welcome content that would cost them nothing to Broadcast.

JMO

[Penguin022]

There should really be NBLTV!

J.K.

I have seen a few Mississauga Power ads lately...

[JJSA]

I guess we can forget about the possibility of seeing the NBLC on CBC...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-to-cut-657-jobs-will-no-longer-compete-for-professional-sports-rights-1.2605504?cid

[cflsteve]

I guess we can forget about the possibility of seeing the NBLC on CBC...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-to-cut-657-jobs-will-no-longer-compete-for-professional-sports-rights-1.2605504?cid

I guess that would be only if there was a cost involved. A high Quality simulcast from a London Game on Rogers TV or a Halifax with the NBL hosting its own haltime studio show similar to what NBA TV does, live games simulcast from a teams local braodcaster and NBATV having its own halftime studio show.

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