TV deal?

Drew Lasker presenting? Has he quit Eagles?
Pity Dan Routledge not involved

It says Lasker & Achara are part of the presenting team. I am sure they wont be doing the actual commentary

Good for him starting to build a career after playing. He is the best BBL presenter / pundit that I've seen.

When was the last time the league had regular live games on sky?

“MVP understands that only a limited number of venues will be used for game broadcasts – Copper Box, Morningside Arena, Eagles Arena, Pavilions and Emirates Arena.“

Wonder if that’s purely an aesthetics decision or what

suspect Emirates Arena is on the list for the Trophy final - am sure in the past was mentioned it was a multi-year arrangement with glasgow life/glasgow sport who get mentioned on the posters and advertising as they are an in-kind sponsor of the final.

time will tell if a Rocks game is also broadcast - where are the production company based, could they do a Glasgow game setting up and leaving the same day, or got extra costs of overnight stops due to distance from their base?

The complex though would be perfect for a double header or more due to plenty of changing rooms and warm up space. So could easily keep 4 or more teams spaced apart. Not so perfect for the two teams who would have to travel to Glasgow for a game not involving Rocks.

There could be a number of criteria used in selecting the venues, apart from the quality of the sides.

Do the venues have suitable lighting and data infrastructure to allow professional broadcast quality?

Is there space to install cameras at suitable angles to produce a professional production?

Do the venues & clubs have the infrastructure in place to allow a professional quality broadcast.

Single, or even two camera, coverage is not acceptable for a mainstream broadcast channel.

A tree falls in the forest...........

This clearly not a rights buy but more of a pay to be seen situation. Buzz16 is connected via this Neville guy to Sky and not a major player in the production business. So someone pays for production or let me be generous, Buzz16 commits to produce and provides feed to Sky for free.

If the above is the case, why would they ever leave BBC which has a HUGE reach on all platforms.

Also, why do this now during a pandemic with no audience (not that they ever had real audiences outside of Newcastle and Lester I guess). The basketball product is poor standard and that against the background of no fans in the stands........let’s just say it won’t do anything to attract people to the games whenever they resume for fans. I’ve watched a few of these live streaming games and they are just horrible.

Whatever money was put towards getting on Sky would have been better spent on a better product and marketing in the run up to whenever games will be played in front of crowds. Also, wasn’t the BBL just seeking a government bailout or they’d go under? Maybe they got 777 or some other unsophisticated investor to pony up cash. Maybe government has not come up with money so they were forced into this stupid idea by investors.

Who are BBL targeting? If it’s basketball fans, going on Sky during the NBA season will just magnify the product defiencies.

This is just another window dressing survival tactic coming from the BBL. For die hard BBL fans however, this is great news. For true lovers of basketball, with any real basketball IQ, not so much.

Why on earth would they ever leave BBC? And why go on live TV with no audience in the stands, and crappy product full of second rate Americans during a pandemic? It not like the market was craving to see basketball. The NBA even struggles to get viewers so being shown on same network during same season is just stupid decision making and this beggars belief. Sky doesn’t care because they have filled airtime

BBL, get your product and marketing right and people will come to the games. Once that happens, TV will become an effective tool to grow the league. Not before.

But good luck to them I guess?

My favorite dude Hershey!!

Ok, I’m right and I’m wrong. I specifically said there will be no fans until late 2021 hence no games. The fact that BBL has chosen to proceed waiting on a bailout from the government was unthinkable. So yes, you were right Hershey.

I watched that Poland game with the FB ladies and said to my roommate, why isn’t everyone behind that effort. Those girls got some game.

Question, is NBL the league to watch up and coming talent or is it just a worse version of BBL?

To have a constructive debate Hersey, sometimes one has to be on the other side of the argument being made. So I apologize that I’ve not gotten drunk on the BBL kool aid like some on this forum. I came in with an open mind, went to a few games in London and have followed a great deal of the news. Also my roommate is from Cardiff and knows the sports scene here very well. So I get an earful from him all the time. He’s a bit strange with his Millwall crap and I even tease him about getting a better club to support!

I agree with most the BBL ain’t perfect and it’s all you got over here. I get that type of loyalty. But to make it into something it’s clearly not is not gonna get people to come to games let alone watch on Sky, BBC or any other network.

Competing in Europe seems to be a thing with people on here. Forget that, not happening as domestic talent that’s any good is playing elsewhere. And the Lions this years shows that stacking your team with American has beens only to lose to a second rank team of Lithuanian BOYS, is not successful strategy. Attracting money from credible American investors.......not happening either. If it’s not Fenway, Kroennke or that type of quality, everything is suspect.

As far as Sky, why NOW is my first question. Wouldn’t you want to show your best product when arenas are full and people are going and talking about the league? And why have the bad messaging of potentially going out of business and needing a government bailout conflict with, hey we finally got a TV deal on Sky to highlight how good our basketball isn’t when nobody is going to the games!!!

As a fan of the sport I gave it a shot and as you Brits say......not my cup of tea!

Maybe following the women’s team is my way forward. Maybe it’s the NBL which I’ll try. But I ain’t drinking the Kool Aid the BBL is serving so forgive me if I’m not gullible.