American Basketball League (1996–1998) on television

The American Basketball League was the first independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. The ABL lasted two full seasons: 1996–97 and 1997–98. On December 22, 1998; with almost no warning, the ABL declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and suspended operations. Each team had played between 12 and 15 games of the 1998–99 season.

Television package[edit]

Ultimately, the ABL never did land a major TV contract.[1][2] None[3] of the ABL games were broadcast nationally or on prime television channels for basketball.

SportsChannel[edit]

When the ABL began operations in 1996, its games were carried[4] by the SportsChannel[5] regional networks and Black Entertainment Television (BET) under a two-year contract.[6] SportsChannel[7] would televise 12 games on Sunday nights[8] while BET would televise only 8 games[9] on Saturday nights. SportsChannel televised the San Jose Lasers' opening game[10] on Friday, October 25, 1996 and would televise their January 5 game against the Richmond Rage.

BET[edit]

BET initially would televise eight Saturday night games, starting with the New England Blizzard at the Columbus Quest on January 4, 1997[11] and ending with a playoff semifinal February 22. New England home games on January 25 and February 15 would also be shown during the 1996–97 season.

Come the second year, the ABL's television package[12] included 36 games combined on Fox Sports Net[13] and BET.

During 1997, the ABL averaged a 0.6 rating while rival league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) scored nearly a 2 rating on NBC.[14] A rating point is equal to 980,000 TV households. Besides NBC's weekly game,[15] ESPN[16] and the Lifetime channel also each got a weekly WNBA game. That's a total weekly exposure of 130 million homes, more than double the 66 million the ABL reached on SportsChannel[17] and BET.[18]

BET[19] was scheduled to televise 12 games[20] on Saturday nights. After broadcasting four games in December 1997, the remaining eight would be aired starting on January 4 and the following Saturdays through February. The ABL's revenue came solely from the BET.[21] In comparison,[22] the WNBA (as previously mentioned) boasted major television deals[23] with NBC,[24] ESPN,[25] and the Lifetime cable network. BET would use the games to build a lead-in audience for reruns of 227.[26]

Fox Sports Net[edit]

When league officials were negotiating with Fox Sports Net,[27][28] it was in revision[29] of a contract that the league signed with Fox Sports Net's forerunner, Prime Network.[30] The ABL games were often broadcast on tape delay[31] on BET and Fox Sports Net.

All the while, the ABL had paid a fee[32] to have two games of its championship series[33] aired on CBS[34][35] had the 1998–99 season been played in full and 16 games[36] on Fox Sports Net,[37] which at the time consisted 22 regional sports cable channels,[38] up to seven playoff games, including all of the best-of-5 ABL championship series.[39]

Fox Sports Net's primary broadcast team included Tracy Warren (play-by-play), Debbie Antonelli[40] (color commentary), and Heather Cox[41] (sideline reporter). Also utilized by Fox Sports Net were Ron Barr[42] (play-by-play) and Debbie Gore[43] (color commentary).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Purdy, Mark (May 12, 2017). "Purdy: Joe Lacob lost $10 million on the first basketball team he owned — with no regrets". The Mercury News.
  2. ^ Callebs, Sean (December 19, 1996). "WNBA scores big sponsors". CNN Money.
  3. ^ "The political economy of women's professional basketball in the United States: A structure-conduct-performance approach" (PDF). Theoretical and Applied Economics Volume XIX (2012), No. 11 (576), pp. 107-126.
  4. ^ Sandomir, Richard (December 23, 1998). "ANALYSIS: Lack of TV deal kills ABL". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Gallo, Bill (October 2, 1997). "Hoop Sisters". Westword.
  6. ^ Gay, Nancy (January 21, 1997). "With Rival on Heels, ABL Comes Out Scoring". SF Gate.
  7. ^ Schmuck, Peter (February 2, 1997). "Women's game: two shots Basketball: The ABL and the WNBA have different philosophies but a common goal: to make the women's pro sport a major-league success". The Baltimore Sun.
  8. ^ Rosner, Shropshire, Scott, Kenneth (2011). The Business of Sports. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 124. ISBN 9780763780784.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Hudes, Kelly (April 13, 1998). "SOARING: WNBA'S TERESA WEATHERSPOON IS HELPING DRAW MORE CABLE VIEWERS. CABLE TV: THE SPORTS SECTION: WNBA'S RESEARCH POWERS IMPACT OF WOMEN'S GAMES: VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER AND EVEN HOCKEY SCREAM OUT TO AD WORLD, "WE'VE GOT NEXT"". AdAge.
  10. ^ Harrington, Jim (October 23, 1996). "Hoop dreams". Palo Alto Online.
  11. ^ Berlet, Bruce (December 13, 1996). "BLIZZARD RELEASE GUARD DAVIS". The Hartford Courant.
  12. ^ Gloster, Rob (December 22, 1998). "American Basketball League Folds". AP.
  13. ^ Crawford, Dan (November 3, 1997). "Rival women's basketball leagues slug it out for supremacy on and off court". American City Business Journals.
  14. ^ Jacobs, Jeff (April 29, 1998). "WNBA EXPOSED: IT'S ALL ABOUT HYPE". The Hartford Courant.
  15. ^ "1997-1998 Long Beach Stingrays". Fun While It Lasted. March 16, 2012.
  16. ^ Bernstein, Blain, Alina, Neil (2003). Sport, Media, Culture: Global and Local Dimensions. Psychology Press. p. 208. ISBN 9780714652993.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Peterson, Gary (September 23, 1996). "Women Earned This League Of Their Own". The Spokesman-Review.
  18. ^ "WNBA IS AIMED, READY TO SHOOT". Daily Press. June 21, 1997.
  19. ^ Knight, Athelia (January 2, 1998). "IN ITS SECOND SEASON, ABL IS ABOVE AVERAGE". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ Litsky, Frank (October 10, 1997). "PRO BASKETBALL; The A.B.L. Hopes for a Successful Encore". The New York Times.
  21. ^ Kalec, William (February 5, 1999). "A bankrupt league". Daily Collegian.
  22. ^ Pedersen, Paul Mark; Parks, Janet; Quarterman, Jerome; Thibault, Lucie (2011). Contemporary Sport Management. Human Kinetics. p. 256. ISBN 9780736081672.
  23. ^ Roberts, Selena (December 23, 1998). "PRO BASKETBALL; Nice Try, No Reward As A.B.L. Goes Dark". The New York Times.
  24. ^ "Abl More Than Holds Its Own Against Wnba". The Spokesman-Review. May 4, 1997.
  25. ^ English, Antonya (September 12, 2005). "WNBA's draft catches ABL". Tampa Bay Times.
  26. ^ Steele, David (December 24, 1998). "ABL Failed To Make Most Of Opportunity". SF Gate.
  27. ^ Storm, Stephanie (October 10, 1997). "WNBA, ABL PULLING NO PUNCHES". The Orlando Sentinel.
  28. ^ Gustkey, Earl (December 23, 1998). "Women's League Is Calling It Quits". Los Angeles Times.
  29. ^ Rumore, Daniel (August 12, 1997). "ABL, WNBA are in leagues of their own ABL has the better talent, but WNBA has a following". The Baltimore Sun.
  30. ^ Morris, David (October 18, 1996). "ABL Tips Off With Crystal-Clear Vision". The Oklahoman.
  31. ^ Hoffmann, Frank; Batchelor, Robert P.; Manning, Martin J. (23 May 2016). Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. Routledge. ISBN 9781135419936.
  32. ^ Slusser, Susan (December 23, 1998). "American Basketball League Folds / WNBA alone after 'sad day' for women's sports". SF Gate.
  33. ^ Hallman, Charles (July 20, 2016). "The ABL blazed the trail for the WNBA". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
  34. ^ Cavanaugh, Jack (January 25, 1999). "ABL action more likely in court than on". Sports Business Journal.
  35. ^ Kane, Michael (December 23, 1998). "Xplosion hit with players off on holiday". The Denver Post.
  36. ^ American Basketball League Folds Midway Through Third Season. Johnson Publishing Company. January 18, 1999.
  37. ^ Martin, Susan (December 22, 1998). "BANKRUPT ABL FOLDS AT HALFTIME OF THIRD SEASON". The Buffalo News.
  38. ^ Lowitt, Bruce (October 1, 2005). "A back seat to no one". Tampa Bay Times.
  39. ^ "Fox To Televise Abl". SWX Right Now. September 10, 1997.
  40. ^ Byrne, Christopher (February 2, 2008). "Debbie Antonelli: "One of The Best Prepared Baskestball Analysts In the Business"". Eye On Sports Media.
  41. ^ Columbus Quest vs Long Beach/ABL Champ./Mar 15, 1998/last 1min:16sec. on YouTube
  42. ^ Brown, O'Rourke, Robert S., Daniel J. (2003). Case Studies in Sport Communication. Greenwood Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9780275975302.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ 1998 ABL Game Lasers vs on YouTube
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