Why British Basketball Can’t Compete with the NBA?
British basketball cannot compete with the exciting talent on show when watching NBA games. But is that the only reason why the Brits can’t keep up with American basketball?
The NBA is the flagship competition of basketball. Renowned across seas and countries, it is unsurprising that other national leagues cannot compete with its hype and status. All of the best players gravitate towards the NBA or hope to make an NBA team one day.
Despite basketball gaining popularity in Britain, it is another location that simply cannot compete with the NBA – and that doesn’t look like changing. But why can’t British basketball, namely the BBL, compete with America’s premium basketball league? Is it just a cultural difference?
British Basketball Betting Still Thrives
Despite the NBA courts ahead of British basketball, the online betting markets for basketball in Britain are thriving. Plenty of basketball fans across Britain choose to bet on local games and NBA matches. Most online operators in the UK offer basketball betting markets as online gambling is heavily regulated but easily accessible and popular.
British Soccer Culture Is Too Big!
One thing preventing British basketball from closing in on the NBA is not the NBA but the culture within Britain. Just like many other European countries, basketball is not one of the most-watched sports. That accolade goes to the world’s most-watched sport – soccer. Or as the Brits call it, football.
Football is huge on the island and boasts arguably the most exciting soccer league in the world, The Premier League. With such an exciting and cherished product on home soil, the local basketball leagues don’t stand a chance of competing.
The NBA Is Higher Quality (More Exciting!)
The NBA is the iconic league of basketball with much bigger stadiums and larger attendances, which drives revenue and allows players to demand bigger salaries. It is only natural that any basketball player would strive to feature in the NBA over other leagues, including the BBL.
This doesn’t just affect the players’ mentality, but it has a knock-on effect on fans. Anyone wanting to watch basketball games are much more likely to tune into the NBA than anywhere else due to the more exciting talent on show.
Time Differences Don’t Help
One way to help British basketball is to show British people how exciting basketball can be at an elite level. That would require more brits to tune into the most exciting league in the world, the NBA. But the time differences between Britain and America don’t make this feasible for everyone, which instantly slashes the potential NBA viewership from Britain. Not to mention the difficulty in watching games due to a lack of legal channels.
However, one British sports channel has started to stream NBA games, which could leverage the sport on British soil going forward.
Can Things Change?
It is not realistic to expect the BBL to compete with the NBA in this century or probably ever. But there are hints to suggest its popularity is increasing. For example, the attendance record for a basketball game in Britain was recently beaten at London’s 02 Arena.