According to sina.com, Fujian Sports Channel charged 300,000 yuan ($40,540) for live coverage of home and away games last year. That amount doubled this season, and only one live game is guaranteed each week.

And despite the comeback of four-time CBA Most Valuable Player Liu Yudong, the Fujian side has yet to cause any stir within its fan base this year.

"It is a very embarrassing situation," said Hao. "As the governing body of the sport in China, we cannot help. The charge is very high for clubs, and I can tell you all we can do is just try to negotiate with clubs and television stations (for better deals)."

The 2007-08 CBA season tipped off last month. The league has spent the last 13 years cultivating its Chinese fan base as it has produced international stars like Yi and Yao Ming.

The pinnacle of TV-viewing came in 2005 when a total of 315 million people watched CBA games on television. The average is 79.15 percent of that figure, meaning approximately 250 million people watch CBA games in a typical season, according to Infront, a Swiss-based sports management group, which manages the CBA.

But with the Olympics looming, officials have decided to shorten the new season by about three months, compressing it into a four-month schedule to give more time to the national team to practice for the Olympics.

China's Central Television (CCTV) will broadcast 96 NBA games this season. The match between Yao's Houston Rockets and Yi's Milwaukee Bucks last month drew some 200 million viewers from around the country.

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