The Canberra Capitals are banking on an unprecedented level of exposure to lure more fans to games as they look to capitalise on their move to the heart of the city.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Crowds doubled last season and now the reigning champions will look to sell-out games at the National Convention Centre starting with a clash against Townsville on Sunday.
A live streaming service gives fans the chance to watch every WNBL game this season - something they have not had before.
University of Canberra sport director Carrie Graf hopes the move will lure casual fans through the doors in a bid to see world class sport in their own backyard.
"For us that's the next part of the growth of the program," Graf said.
"How do we get sell-outs if we play two or three times at the AIS Arena? Can we get a sell-out for a regular season game at the Arena? That would be huge for us.
MORE CAPITALS NEWS
"This year I think we will see much bigger crowds at the Convention Centre.
"Off the back of last year and the profile of the players and the work they do in terms of engaging with the fans, the kids and the families at the games, that sets us up to really build on crowds for this year.
"When people come to the game they go 'wow, this is a fun day out, it's entertaining'. It's great sport, you're in a great arena in terms of the inner city vibe at the Convention Centre and you're in a comfy seat which you don't often get at a lot of sporting events.
"Hopefully we will really see a spike in crowds this year and off the back of last year, we are poised to do that.
"We've got to continue to do the work off the floor to engage people who haven't been to a Capitals game.
"We want to get those people to come and watch and show it is high-quality, world class sport in our own backyard."
Bigger crowds in the city would potentially aid the Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies' push for a new stadium in the city as Canberra Stadium grows old.
The ACT government's plans for a new venue in the city centre have stalled but the Capitals have a chance to show why it could work if they can pack out the Convention Centre.
The defending champions' season opener against Adelaide was broadcast live on Fox Sports, who televise one game per week while the remainder are streamed on the league website.
Basketball Australia's head of women's basketball Lauren Jackson says the streaming service was "fantastic" despite some teething issues.
"We were scrambling right to the very last minute to get it working," Jackson said about the streaming service.
"We definitely struggled there for a few years, and once we got back on Fox Sports, it has given us a platform to be far more visible over the past year or two, which has been fantastic.
"We've just got to keep building, that's what it is. We're taking baby steps at the moment, but we will continue to get better.
"For fans of women's basketball all over the world, especially the WNBA players coming out here, [fans and teams] are going to be able to see their players competing in our league."
Graf says the Capitals' All-Star calibre side will have plenty of fans tuning in throughout the season.
"We've got the core of a hell of a team with Kia Nurse back on the roster, and obviously Tolo, Kelsey and Keely Froling, and the young cohort that did such a good job last year, they're going to evolve and develop even more," Graf said.
"It's going to be an exciting season, there's depth around the league again so it's going to be a challenge."
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
