Basketball On The Internet.

FORGET ABC-TV as a broadcast partner for the WNBL. The petitions and passion were great for all of Australia to see but the reality is the budget cuts have been made.

"ABC Sports has been decimated," Basketball Australia chief executive officer Anthony Moore yesterday told the Free Throw Foundation's fund-raising lunch.

Keeping the WNBL on free-to-air television will mean cutting a deal with Seven, Nine or Ten and, frankly, Seven - as the Olympic broadcaster - most likely is the best target.

The network, like most, though, is looking for packaged content to be delivered.

"The question is how to fund (being on) TV because it would take around $600,000 to produce," Moore said.

Of course, packaging Opals internationals, the WNBL, Boomers - and remember there are NBA names among our Australian men's team - is a more attractive proposition today than five years ago.

Australia will play New Zealand in August at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena as part of the two-game Rio Olympics qualifying series and no-one will be surprisied if the Tall Blacks suit OKC centre Steve Adams.

And as suddenly mouth-watering as that series becomes, the move into FIBA Asia means serious internationals against countries such as Japan, China and Korea are on the horizon.

No longer will we be force-fed games against sub-par Euro touring line-ups but real matches with significance towards the World Cup.

Moore said the ability to go to sponsors representing the Boomers, Opals, WNBL and SEABL gave BA more negotiating clout but it had to do a much better job of promoting its leagues.

"I think we spent $2.50 marketing the WNBL this season," he joked, though more ironically than merrily.

Dandenong Rangers' superstar WNBA recruit Cappie Pondexter pointedly had told him the WNBL was a viable alternative to Europe but BA had to do a much better job of promoting it.

No news there.

(Just acknowledgement of a long-held reluctance to "spend a quid to make a quid.")

Moore said Cappie was going to be a great "word-of-mouth" promoter for the WNBL back in the US and had already been inundated by WNBA players curious to pursue playing some ball Down Under.

Asked about the timing of the season, Moore said he was open to discussion but, essentially, happy with where the WNBL was positioned in summer.

A move to winter would cost the league players to the WNBA, cut into additional (lower) earning possibilities for remaining WNBL players supplementing incomes in the SEABL, QBL, Premier League etcetera and also create international preparation conflicts.

"Just as we identify the last Saturday in September with the AFL Grand Final, I'd like to see us do the same for the WNBL as a sport playing in summer," he said.

"If we are playing in summer, then I'd like to see the Grand Final every year conclude on the last weekend in February - the last weekend of summer - as opposed to playing on into March.

"Start from the Grand Final date and work backwards to the day we start the season."

Moore (pictured) said BA also was very keen to ensure the NBL was a viable, sustainable elite men's competition.

Obviously the league is in an off-season hiccup at present but Moore on Monday will meet with Chairman Graeme Wade, interim CEO Bret Mactavish, and a few other NBL heavies to offer any assistance the federation can.

"We have FIBA and the Australian Sports Commission and we want to be part of the solution," Moore said.

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