The reason why people aren't playing the game is because to fully develop a top quality player takes 3 years of real life. It doesn't really matter if they had $20,000. People will join, pump the user base back up to 60k like it was before, and people will realize they need so long to develop a new player and leave.
Sadly, I don't have a fix to this solution. Devs don't have a fix to this solution. It's how the game was structured some 12 years ago and hasn't changed a bit. I don't know of another game where progress is so slow, this requires a patient userbase. Sadly in this era we all want a new 2K or madden game every year and we want fast player development. Thats not possible on BB, so people leave.
Advertising won't change much, some people will stick around, but the majority will leave.
2x NBBA Champion: S55, S56. 3x USA Cup Champion: S54, S55, S56. WR for longest home streak ever at 11 in Season 47.