19
Oct
Code Sports
NBL urged to examine TV ratings to become billion-dollar code
Cole Anthony of United shoots under pressure from Tyler Harvey of the Hawks during the round five NBL match between Melbourne United and Illawarra Hawks at John Cain Arena, on October 18, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
The NBL's ratings surge with Nine has seen an expert urge the league to examine the trend
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A media industry expert says the NBL must forensically examine their broadcast performance if they’re to fully capitalise on a free-to-air TV opportunity that has proven to turn Australian sports into billion-dollar codes, writes Matt Logue and Michael Randall from Code Sports.
The NBL’s decision to ditch Channel 10 for Channel 9 as a broadcast partner is already paying dividends— with the round 3 Saturday night clash between Melbourne United and the Cairns Taipans attracting an audience reach of 910,000.
It’s the league’s biggest free-to-air rating in Larry Kestelman’s 12-year reign as NBL boss – a significant result when you consider he was “laughed out” of the Channel 10 offices back in 2015 for attempting to renew the broadcast deal.
Nine’s rival, 10, had five consecutive seasons as the NBL’s free-to-air partner. Last season’s Game 5 championship decider between Sydney and Adelaide was the network’s most-watched NBL game, reaching 559,000 Australians.
Whereas Nine needed just three games to surpass Channel 10’s best result – highlighting the broadcaster’s extensive reach and resources.
According to respected Sports Strategy consultant Ben Shepherd, Nine’s early success with the NBL is just the start, as the network is capable of helping an already booming Australian basketball league become even bigger.
Shepherd – who spent a year-and-a-half as the NRL’s General Manager of Strategy and Special Projects and now works for colganbauer, a specialised sports strategy consulting firm - believes a closer analysis of weekly consumer habits can give the NBL a powerful understanding of how to capitalise on Nine’s significant national audience.
“This is how you turn a million dollar entity into a billion dollar one,” Shepherd said via his LinkedIn profile.
For the full story and Crosscourt Column on Code Sports Basketball, click here.
