NBA Preseason Games in China Do Horribly

SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT..... NOBODY WANTS TO WATCH THE BUCKS AND THE WARRIORS PLAY A PRESEASON GAME IN CHINA, OR ANYWHERE ELSE

From China Daily:


Some local media even went so far as to dub them the "Three No's", referring to the lack of stars, Chinese players and ultimately, the lack of significance.

Aware of these possible pitfalls, the NBA tried to focus the media's attention on the Bucks' Taiwan-born and Beijing-bred rookie Joe Alexander, as well as on Warriors coach Don Nelson, a popular figure in China due to his experience with the Dallas Mavericks where China's first NBA export Wang Zhizhi once played... many media seats in Guangzhou were embarrassingly empty last Wednesday and even scalpers suffered as ticket prices nosedived from 2,800 yuan ($410) to 500 yuan ($73)on the black market.

While enthusiasm for Saturday's Beijing game was higher, fans refused to pay over the odds and scalpers ended up having to part with VIP tickets for as little as 10 percent of their face value.


Joe Alexander!? You mean the pasty white rookie that went to West Virginia? The guy that even semi-serious NBA fans would have to look up to make sure they were talking about the same person? That's your marketing strategy in China!?

I understand that Chairman Yi was probably still on the Bucks when this game was scheduled and the NBA had to scramble... but I did find this part interesting:


For those who bought tickets or watched on TV, 26 percent described the games as "boring", 23 percent bemoaned the lack of Chinese players and only 17 percent commented positively on the experience.


You mean- gasp- potential fans in new markets are interested in the product on the floor, not just the personalities? (Although some big names certainly would have helped.) As we have seen from the WNBA, David Stern is more of a sports marketer than a sports fan. He cares more about how the game is advertised than how it is played. Hence, trying to pimp out Joe Alexander and Don Nelson instead of advertising a couple of great, great basketball games. Personality-driven ad campaigns may be doable for well-established commodities (the NBA in the US) but it certainly doesn't work for trying to start something new in a new place (see: WNBA in the US). But, Stern will keep on banning tights or forcing players to wear suits while many would-or-could-be fans are convinced that the games are either rigged or refereed incompetently. I love this game!Source URL: http://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/2008/10/nba-preseason-games-in-china-do.html
Visit ledger heath for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection