The future of British basketball has been thrown into more chaos as the British Basketball Federation (BBF) is set to award the long-term license for the men’s professional league to a US consortium from the start of the 2025-26 season.
The BBF board has agreed to grant preferred bidder status to a group led by former Euroleague Basketball acting chief executive Marshall Glickman, together with Chris Dillavou and Arjun Metre, experienced executives and investors in the sports, media, and tech industries.
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The BBF and Glickman's group have now entered an exclusive negotiating period to finalize the terms of the prospective license.
The preferred bidder will now reach out to the nine clubs currently competing in the Super League Basketball (SLB), the domestic men's professional league, to present its business plan and discuss how the league and clubs can work together going forward.
However, the decision by the BBF has been met with strong backlash from the newly formed SLB and its clubs which could create a major dispute between the key stakeholders.
In a joint statement with the clubs, the SLB said: “The SLB shareholders and directors have been formally notified by the British Basketball Federation that it intends to award the long-term license for the men’s professional basketball league in Britain to an external operator from the start of the 2025-26 season.
“Whilst we understood that the BBF would impose a process to tender, we have not, at any time been consulted or included in its development even though we were listed as key stakeholders in the tender application process.
“The SLB shareholders, directors, and all nine clubs remain steadfast in their commitment to SLB, our fans, partners and our employees in providing great experiences and opportunities for basketball at all levels, from grassroots provision to the elite men’s professional game.
“As such we will operate the SLB with its continuing success and planned strategic growth but will no longer be under the purview of the BBF. The SLB clubs are united in this decision and look forward to developing this incredible league for many years to come.”
The SLB supplanted the now-defunct British Basketball League (BBL) as the new top-tier of British basketball last year in the aftermath of the former’s dissolution following severe financial troubles.
In June 2024, the BBF withdrew the license for the BBL’s operators, promptly awarding a new interim operating license to a consortium of the previous league’s 10 constituent franchises.
That consortium, known as Premier Basketball Limited (PBL), promptly established SLB as the country’s new top-flight, but questions had remained over the makeup of the competition.
This latest dispute plunges the British game back into crisis just months after the professional level and its top club, London Lions, were almost killed off by the financial problems suffered by BBL owners 777 Partners.
However, the BBF believes Glickman's group can help to stabilize and grow the sport domestically.
Chris Grant, chair of the British Basketball Federation, said: “This is a pivotal moment as we work to fulfill British Basketball's enormous potential.
“Marshall Glickman's group brings huge basketball and business know-how. They have embraced the vision of British Basketball as a force for good, which can already be seen in the substantial contributions made by the existing professional clubs in their communities.
“We're excited at the prospect of growing the game and unleashing basketball’s power to deliver social and economic impact.”
Glickman spent around 10 months as acting chief executive of Euroleague Basketball between September 2022 and July 2023. He is also the chief executive of sports consulting firm G2 Strategic.
After his consortium was confirmed as the preferred bidder group yesterday, he stated: “We are humbled by the British Basketball Federation's decision to select our group as the preferred bidder to operate and invest in the growth of Great Britain's top-tier men's professional basketball league for the long-term.
“The clubs, players, and fans are the future of British Basketball and we will work alongside the existing stakeholders to help shape the most competitive, entertaining,g and financially sustainable basketball league possible. We look forward to working with the BBF to cross the finish line.”
