MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - Anthony Moore has made an impressive start as Basketball Australia (BA) CEO, the stunning night at Rod Laver Arena this month in front of a sell-out crowd and national TV audience proving to be a great example.

After previous FIBA Oceania Championship clashes in Melbourne had been played in a 3,500-seat stadium, Moore had the gall to take basketball back to the 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena for the first time since 2000, get Major Events Victoria involved, charge major event prices and still pack the gym.

It was brave, visionary and impressive.

As one official told me afterwards, whenever BA approach potential corporate partners they are asked: "Remember when Rod Laver Arena used to be full for basketball?"

Well now they can say: "Yes I do, a few weeks ago."

Moore's next big challenge is to secure television coverage for the WNBL, whose long run with the ABC finished at the end of last season.

It's a tough ask, as shown by Moore this week saying the inequity of coverage between male and female sport was "galling" and "diabolical".

Moore is an astute man, and I'm sure his comments were calculated to generate publicity of the WNBL's broadcast plight and highlight exactly what a bargain the women's league could be to television networks and sponsors who can tap the target market correctly.

"Our numbers stack up and our athletes are tremendous role models. We need to put the spotlight on them so people can see how good they are," he said.

Of course, to any long-term basketball fan, knowing both the WNBL and NBL are struggling to attract TV coverage for the coming season will bring on that galling feeling.

For the best part of a generation now, hoops in Australia have had a captive market to tap into, with anywhere between 600,000 and one million people - depending who you believe - playing the sport on a regular basis.

Add in parents, partners and friends and that's a significant chunk of the Australian population with an interest in basketball.

On top of that, both leagues have featured some world-class players and some of the fastest pace and entertaining basketball going around.

Yet both the NBL and WNBL have failed to tap into their own markets, attracted very modest rating figures and limped through each off-season with television coverage in doubt.

The reality is no one deserves a free ride, commercial television is a business and each sport has to be able to show they can deliver a return to get networks on board.

In basketball's case, neither the men's nor women's game in Australia has captured anywhere near the majority of hoops fanatics, so what can they offer a TV station? Do we really think broadcasters will do the hard work for us?

Netball in Australia, along with state league football, buy their own airtime and cover the cost via sponsorship.

This is an option open to both the WNBL and NBL, and it gives the chance to showcase your wares and push for a genuine broadcast rights deal in following years.

The message should be clear to basketball in Australia - now's the time to tap your market and get them watching the sport on TV, or else there is little hope of getting the broadcast dollars so desperately needed to grow the sport.

Find out the most effective ways to connect with recreational players, then find relevant sponsors and convince them you can deliver their message to the people they want to reach.

Then you have the chance to create the sort of momentum that has led to the enviable TV rights situations sports like Aussie rules and rugby league find themselves in.

It won't happen overnight, it's hard work, but it's work worth doing. After all, you reap what you sow, and basketball's fields have been bare for a while now.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

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