If they’re aiming at being a D-league they won’t mind being ignored by the media. How often does the NBA D-league get attention? Minor league baseball? The AHL? If you’re keeping costs down by actually TRYING to be filled with second tier players you don’t need national media.
But they are also looking for a tv contract to finance themselves and, if they’re a true D-league, then the only ones who would be interested in televising it would be the NFL Network. And for that, they might as well be developed under the NFL umbrella like NFL Europe was.
And if they are going to be a D league, they would be smarter to not be national but regional - someplace in the midwest or south where there are several middle-sized cities and travel costs can be minimized.