By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG Rangers’ fans may only be able to watch their WNBL team courtside next season, after ABC funding cuts forced the end of basketball broadcasting.
As a result of federal government cuts to the national broadcaster, the ABC will end its 35-year affiliation with the Women’s National Basketball League, currently leaving women’s sport without significant television broadcasts in 2015 and beyond.
The WNBL grand final, held on Sunday 8 March 2015, will be the last WNBL match to be televised on the ABC.
Dandenong Basketball Association CEO David Graham said the decision to abandon three-and-a-half decades of support was disheartening for the basketball community but other options remain to keep the WNBL televised.
“It will hit our sport which is disappointing, but without it being completely devastating,” Graham said.
“They’ve (ABC) been with us for 35 years and to see them announce at this point they won’t do it is disappointing from a promotional point of view.
“But I don’t think the door is completely shut yet – there are still some opportunities out there and that will be Basketball Australia’s point of view to find another platform.
“Whether it be through streaming, packaged highlights or any number of other positive options to remain with a national broadcaster and promote a major sport.”
Graham said he didn’t believe the loss of the ABC’s telecasts would impose significantly on the Rangers’ sponsorships and external partnerships and there remains a great deal of value to any partnership with Dandenong Rangers’ WNBL team outside of televised coverage.
With the league at the peak of its power – featuring a number of WNBA champions and Australian Opals’ stars such as Penny Taylor – Graham said the league deserves to be televised as not many other Australian codes can boast such a high-calibre format on an international scale.
“The WNBL has been a consistent, high level and highly world ranked league for many, many years,” Graham said.
“We have many of the world’s best players playing in this league and that’s forgotten by some.
“In our particular team, Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor, two world-ranked basketball players, it does get lost on the broader public and to have those girls in the league shows the particular strength of the sport.
“It is a pretty extraordinary league… to showcase the talents of these women is very important… that is always a highlight and should be for those who turn it on and watch.”
Dandenong has three more home-and-away televised matches – Saturday 20 December at 3pm against Sydney Uni, Saturday 31 January at 3pm (both at home) and Saturday 7 February at State Basketball Centre from 3pm plus any potential finals’ matches.
In a statement on the WNBL website, Basketball Australia CEO Anthony Moore was saddened the affiliation between the league and the ABC would cease at season’s end.
Options for basketball’s telecast future will be announced in upcoming months following the review into the WNBL from the Australian Sports Commission.
