The cash-strapped Allan government has refused to confirm the cost of bringing NFL and NBA games to Victoria, after the NSW government was told to expect a “ballpark” figure of $15 million a game for the rights to the American football matches.
A day after the Victorian government confirmed it had pulled off a coup to stage the first regular-season NFL game featuring the Los Angeles Rams in Australia next year at the MCG, another major announcement appears imminent with the NBA, NBL and the Victorian government finalising a deal to bring at least one NBA team to Australia in October to play multiple exhibition games.
The matches are likely to be between an NBA team and an NBL side. The deal is likely to be for one year, and only in Melbourne, although the NBL and the government would like it to become a semi-regular event.
One option: Josh Giddey his Chicago Bulls could be headed to Melbourne for a pre-season game.Credit: Getty Images
NBL chief executive David Stevenson said the league was working closely with the NBA.
“We have built a strong relationship with the NBA, and it’s a partnership we value immensely. We are constantly exploring possibilities and opportunities for the NBL and NBA’s incredibly passionate shared fan base across Australia and New Zealand,” Stevenson said.
NBA Asia head of strategy Rajah Chaudhry said the league was determined to engage with Australian fans.
“Basketball and the NBA’s popularity in Australia is at an all-time high. We are committed to engaging the passionate NBA fans across the country, including in collaboration with the NBL,” he said.
Victorian sports minister Steve Dimopolous did not comment on Friday, but a government spokesperson said: “Victoria is the major events capital and continues to secure internationally exclusive major events – giving locals and visitors unparalleled opportunities to experience some of the best sporting and music experiences Australia has to offer.”
Main man: Larry Kestelman, pictured with Chicago Bulls champions Scottie Pippen and Luc Longley, has been instrumental in securing an exhibition game here.Credit: Getty
The spokesperson would not disclose how much the games would cost.
When announcing the three-year deal for NFL games to be played at the MCG, neither Premier Jacinta Allan nor Visit Victoria chair Andy Penn would say how much the government paid, insisting it was commercial in confidence.
The Australian Financial Review reported that the NFL deal put to the NSW government was in the “ballpark” of $15 million a game. This masthead confirmed that figure with a source familiar with the negotiations.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he rejected the proposal because the NFL, one of the richest sports by revenue, wanted a “king’s ransom”.
However, a source with knowledge of discussions said money was not the defining factor for the NFL. Rather, the opportunity to stage a game at the MCG, Australia’s most famous arena, the NFL’s relationship with the AFL, along with the training facilities and medical support on offer, meant Melbourne was the best destination.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman has met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver several times over the past two years to discuss how best the two leagues can strengthen their relationship.
Australian Dyson Daniels in action for the Atlanta Hawks.Credit: AP
Kestelman told this masthead last year that the most convenient way to have an NBA exhibition game here would be for it to have only the one NBA team touring during its pre-season campaign, rather than two NBA clubs having to travel here. However, NBL sources have left open the possibility of two NBA teams touring.
Local teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix or a combined team of NBL players are expected to take to the court, likely at Rod Laver Arena. The Australian Boomers hosted Team USA at Marvel Stadium in 2019.
The NBA said full details had yet to be finalised. However, the league is likely keen to have a team featuring a leading Australian player. The Chicago Bulls, with Josh Giddey, the Atlanta Hawks, with Dyson Daniels, the Los Angeles Clippers, with Patty Mills, and the Houston Rockets, with Jock Landale, provided these players are not traded, are options.
The NBL has sent teams to the USA for pre-season games over the past decade.
The sports cash splash comes at a time when Victoria’s net debt is forecast to rise to $187.3 billion by 2028 from $155.2 billion this year.
While sports events can bring a healthy economic benefit to the state, as Allan pointed out on Thursday, with a huge number of tourists from interstate and overseas expected to visit, this did not stop former premier Daniel Andrews citing cost blowouts of nearly $7 billion as the reason why his government pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Victorian government spent $102 million on hosting the 2024 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, having injected $700 million into the race over the past decade.
