Basketball Australia will "seek a meeting with ABC Sport to find out
if government budget cuts" will end the Women's National Basketball League's 35-year partnership with
the national broadcaster, according to Roy Ward of THE AGE. ABC Sport screens a live broadcast of
one WNBL match each Saturday afternoon, along with a "post-game show that
features interviews, pre-recorded player stories and league news." All
finals matches are "also shown live," while ABC 2 this year showed both
the men's FIBA World Cup and women's FIBA World Championships live. But
the current deal between the ABC and WNBL expires at the end of this
season. Under A$254M ($219M) of cuts announced by Australian Communications Minister Malcolm
Turnbull on Wednesday the ABC "looks likely to have to sell its satellite
vans, used to broadcast live from venues." The cost of hiring a production company "appears a major hurdle" for BA, which runs the WNBL. BA CEO Anthony Moore said
on Wednesday that he was "aware of the budget cuts and knew it could affect
WNBL broadcasts." Moore: "We need to have a sit down with our broadcaster to see
what impact these significant cuts will have on live sport." The WNBL's review of its competition also looked into ways to "digitally broadcast matches and videos of the league's stars." Moving
matches online "could be the future for the league if the ABC is unable
to continue with a number of fledgling online production companies
looking for partnerships with semi-professional leagues like the WNBL." But selling potential sponsors on the reach of live-stream compared to
the ABC's national airwaves "could also prove difficult" (THE AGE, 11/19).
