It is a model that goes against the direction of seemingly every league in professional sports these days.
More games and longer seasons make for more product and presumably more money.
But National Basketball League general manager Justin Nelson believes the short, sharp concept could be the way forward.
It was developed in the league’s response to Covid-19’s disruptions.
The men’s league was played over six weeks in Auckland, with two games most nights.
The women’s league was played over 18 days, also in Auckland, with one game every night.
Meanwhile its 3x3 Cup was played over three days on one weekend.
The ideas were heavily influenced by the impacts of the pandemic.
However, Nelson felt they were worth considering going forward.
He said the league’s viewership and social media engagement grew exponentially this year.
Notably the 18in18 women’s league, which ended last weekend, attracted far more interest than previously.
Nelson was not ruling out using the structure again, particularly given the way the world had moved.
"I think the sporting world has changed," he said.
"You’re always going to have your global sporting leagues like the NBA and English Premier League.
"They’re always going to have their six- to eight-month seasons.
"But I think sport underneath that has a view of short, sharp, consistent and entertaining."
It comes at a time in which the sports market has become increasingly saturated.
Consider the New Zealand rugby season.
Twenty years ago, Super Rugby began on the last weekend of February and was finished by the end of May.
In recent years that season has extended to August, with a break for tests in the middle.
The All Blacks now play upwards of 15 tests in a year, while the NPC is jammed in among it all — and you only have to look at the crowds there to see the fall in interest.
It is far from the only sport doing that.
But is that feasible unless you are one of the increasingly accessible global mega-leagues?
When Super Rugby Aotearoa began this year after a break from the game and in a shorter and entertaining competition, fans became as captivated as they have in years.
It was potentially a similar case with the NBL.
Nelson said understanding what each of hardcore fans, casual fans, the general community and the media were looking for was important.
"What we’ve done this year is we’ve tapped into the fact we are consuming sport in short and sharp chunks where we’re engaged and entertained.
"I think there is a real need for that in our lives.
"We’re not sitting in front of a television for four hours a day any more.
"We’re flicking through our phone looking for highlights and results from our competitions.
"That’s the environment we live in now and it’s only going to move further in that direction in the future."
Next year’s men’s NBL will revert to a traditional season
in which all 10 teams will
play each other home and
away.
The women’s format has not yet been announced.
The pros and cons
- Reduces sports saturation and is more likely to keep fans engaged
- Fits in today’s society of shorter attention spans
- Heightened engagement attracts sponsors and exposure
- Less player costs — two months of salaries are a lot cheaper than six months
- Creates a niche for domestic sport as global leagues become more dominant
- Condensed seasons are tough on players’ bodies
- Fewer, or no, chances for fans to attend games
- Also fewer home games to generate revenue
- A longer season potentially makes success that much more meaningful
- Deprives hardcore fans of games they would have watched
