Australia & New Zealand FIBA Clashes to Air on ABC TV in Australia

August 2, 2013

The Oceania Championship FIBA clashed between Australia and New Zealand on August 18 will be televised live around Australia by ABC-TV.

The winner of the series between the Opals and Tall Ferns will quality for the 2014 FIBA Women’s World Championship in Turkey while the Boomers-Tall Blacks winner will take a higher seeding to next year’s worlds in Spain.

The two-match series tips off in Auckland on August 14 with highlights from both games to be shown on ABC1 from 11:30pm in the eastern states, 11pm in SA.

Basketball Australia chief executive officer Kristina Keneally said the FIBA qualifier would bring many 2012 Olympians back together alongside new faces from the recent World University Games and FIBA U19 World Championships.

“This is undoubtedly the biggest event on our high-performance calendar this year, so we’re pleased fans right across the country will be able to catch the elite action on free-to-air TV with our broadcast partner ABC,” Keneally said.

The coverage is a coup for BA, which will have many of its biggest international “name” players on show in the Oceania Series.

ABC-TV’s Head of Sport and Events, Justin Holdforth said: “The Opals and the Boomers are two of Australia’s most important national sporting teams, so it’s appropriate both will be seen on the national broadcaster.

“It’s a privilege to have superstars like Lauren Jackson and Patty Mills on ABC1, and we look forward to seeing both teams emphatically qualifying for next year’s World Cup.”