Anonymous
Years ago

NH: Adelaide Crows buy Adelaide Bite baseball team

Link

A couple of things interest me about this. The continuing trend of AFL clubs buying into other sports. But none have committed to the NBL yet. Weren't the crows rumoured to be coming to some arrangement with the Sixers?

Also, the Aussie baseball comp managing to have their competition include clubs from Asia. This has increased the exposure and made it attractive for investors like the crows. Again, something the NBL hasn't really been able to achieve.

So, is baseball beating basketball to the punch and if so, how are they managing to achieve these things before us?

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Isaac
Years ago

I'm guessing the Crows looked into the 36ers a bit and weren't overly enthused by the financial side?

Also, the Aussie baseball comp managing to have their competition include clubs from Asia. This has increased the exposure and made it attractive for investors like the crows. Again, something the NBL hasn't really been able to achieve.

The Australian Baseball League has until now had six teams. They've added a team from New Zealand (which the NBL already has) and a team from Korea (you might remember the NBL had the Singapore Slingers for two seasons). They're yet to play any games with the new teams and conference/division structure. Their website still lists just the six Australian teams.

It's worth noting that their season is only ten weeks long.

If the NBL wanted a season that short, I think they could easily switch to a pan-Asia format, but they are accommodating fan bases in x cities who are predisposed to paying and spectating a set number of games.

As to why the Crows bought the Bite rather than 36ers - I'm guessing because I know nothing about Australian baseball, but maybe the 36ers are a much more expensive and (as a result) risky proposition. Players are required for much of the year (let's say 9 months including pre-season) so the salary burden is higher for one thing.

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Ankle Breaker
Years ago

I think the main consideration is that they acquired the Adelaide Bites for free. No cash paid.

They just now pick up the costs of operating the club inc licensing fees.

I would expect that no NBL club would handover their licence for free...not big dollars but not free.

Also I think Adelaide believe that they can stretch their reach into Asia where as with basketball they would not have any real international angle and probably share many fans across both the sports.

On the other hand I believe that they will not be as successful reaching into Asia as they might hope. Basketball tried it and it was a pretty dismal failure.

Hard to see a cash strapped ABL club having the funds to send a team to korea for example for a regular fixtured game...and then sell a couple of jersey's for Adelaide Bites enroute.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Maybe cause NBL clubs are worth a lot more than shitty ABL teams?

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Anonymous
Years ago

NBL teams aren't worth $1

Don’t buy the pump

A business that doesn’t make money yet costs the owner money is a liability

The NBL is a long way away from being an attractive investment

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Anonymous
Years ago

Oh really not worth $1 i may as well just buy all the teams in the league then?

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Anonymous
Years ago

And cover the costs at an average of 700k per team

Good luck

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Anonymous
Years ago

Good. AFL stay away from NBL. Didn't work with the NSL and it won't work with the ABL.

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AD
Years ago

One difference, is that the ABL is backed by MBL. Great if we could do something similar, although I'm not sure exactly what the level of their support is.

If you're an organisation that is already set up to run professional sports, handle memberships, merchandising, sponsorships, etc,
then expanding into other sports makes sense, provided it is financially viable.

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twenty four
Years ago

I honestly didn't know the Bite were still around.

Good for them, I guess?

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Anonymous
Years ago

"No wonder owner Grant Kelley is restructuring the club's administration and management. And now there’s this disaster, on top of the AFL’s Adelaide Crows fluttering their eyelashes at the 36ers but instead getting into bed with Adelaide Bite and buying their baseball license!"

Boti suggesting Sixers management may have missed an opportunity?

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Anonymous
Years ago

AD - MLB owned 50% of ABL I believe but from memory that changed afterwards?

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AD
Years ago

The major difference is probably that Basketball is a huge global sport, and indeed is THE sport in some countries.
So there is good money to be made throughout Europe, and for imports there is money to be made around the globe.

Baseball just isn't as popular.

This leads to two factors:
1) MBL interest in the sport in Australia, whereas the NBA couldn't be assed about our little league.
2) I imagine you can run a "professional" baseball team here a lot cheaper than a Basketball team. Especially if you can find your guys jobs.

So its possible Adelaide can run an ABL team without actually losing money.

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Camel 31
Years ago

...also....the crows are interested in another adelaide club .......
thunderbirds or 36ers..........on tv nine news , last nite......

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Anonymous
Years ago

Yes, the ABL is different to the NBL.

NBL is a professional league with full time athletes.

The ABL is just another "farm" league for MLB. It is classified as a minor winter league. The locals are amateurs, with the better local prospects plus overseas players that get sent here semi-pro on minimum wage.

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Hoops

NH: Adelaide Crows buy Adelaide Bite baseball team

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