At risk of sounding like a broken record, turns out it wasn't. In fact the response received on the issue has been overwhelmingly critical of the television broadcasts.

They're flat and dull and give every impression that they're being called off screen - the clear directive they refer to "this arena" notwithstanding.

Again, it's not a knock on the talent, you simply can't do the job calling a game without, ya know, being at said game.

When the league announced the 'centralised hub' policy (eight paragraphs into a media release) it promised it would "enable the NBL and new production partner IMG to deliver an enhanced production and better broadcast experience for all NBL fans."

Really? I challenge you to find any regular television viewer who thinks the calling from a screen is any way a better broadcast experience. I can find plenty who say the opposite.

I'm sure we'll learn to deal, but one hopes it's not symptomatic of a wider trend. The NBL clearly, and smartly, takes a more global view of its brand than other sporting codes do.

The NBL's much larger Instagram presence than sporting rivals also points to the demographic its targeting. Fair play.

The league trumpeted the amount of eyes that were on the Hawks season-opener via Facebook last week. More than a million, good on em.

The league is showing itself to be very forward-thinking when it comes to streaming - our inbox is regularly inundated with news of fresh streaming agreements and the like.

Again, good on em. It shows an understanding that, particularly when it comes to global sports, streaming rights, rather than television rights, are the way of the future.

As its paying the freight on the contracts of RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball, the NBL's within it's right to want to the most bang for their buck - on a global scale as well.

It's a great characteristic of Aussie hoops fans that - unlike this country's football codes - they overwhelmingly go with the league on it's big plans and grand visions.

Most long-term and loyal NBL fans understand the league's desire to spread its reach and attract an audience bigger than, and different to, them.

It goes to other things beyond broadcasting. In just about all areas they'll cop an inconvenience here or there to let them do it. What they don't deserve is to be taken for granted.

It's hard to see a broadcast policy that deems a call in a different state an acceptable viewing experience for it's locals fans as anything but.

Ask yourself if the NRL or AFL would agree to a broadcast deal that saw every game called out of a single studio in Sydney or Melbourne?