The British Basketball League has returned, and it already looks on course for successive record-breaking seasons following incredible growth across viewership in the opening weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
Interest in basketball in the UK continues to soar following last season, which saw a 200% increase in viewership across the League’s channels, reflecting the positive momentum behind the sport.
A 70% increase in fans tuned in to watch a game in the opening month of the season on the League’s YouTube channel, in comparison to the same time period at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign. Furthermore, the average viewership of games is also on the rise, with an 87% increase in fans tuning in to watch the showstopping on-court action.
Following the exciting renewal with Sky Sports, which sees them as the League’s UK broadcast partner for a third successive season in line with the League investing in a game-changing broadcast set-up, TV viewership also continues to soar. With games appearing live on Sky Sports’ linear and YouTube channels on Thursday or Friday nights for the first time ever, the opening three live broadcast games saw a viewership increase of 89% in comparison to last season’s opening three fixtures.
- Exciting growth sees an 87% average increase of fans tuning into the opening three weeks of the new season.
- UNBEATABLE rebrand supports growth across digital channels, with over a 1,000% increase in social media engagement.
- Renewed partnership with Sky Sports brings basketball to new audiences across the UK.
During the off-season, the British Basketball League launched its new UNBEATABLE rebrand highlighting the organisation’s most exciting period of growth in the sports history in the UK. The rebrand gave the League more than a new identity and is at the heart of its branding across everything to do with the game.
This includes across the broadcast and the League’s digital/social media platforms, including the introduction of the Unbeatable Highlights Magazine show, which airs nine times weekly across Sky, bringing fans closer to the stories told on and off the court.
The rebrand has launched British basketball into a new era, with excitement soaring in the opening weeks, with a 1,323% growth in engagements across the League’s digital channels such as Instagram, X and TikTok. Video viewership also rose by 314%, whilst 141% growth in followers has also followed across the same platforms.
With such pulse-raising action taking place on the court and the League’s growth continuing off it, coverage around the League across print, online and broadcast titles climbed by 238% in comparison to the new season tip-off in 2022.
Speaking on the League’s incredible start to the new season, British Basketball League Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Radin, said:
“Following on the League’s growth last season, we have ambitious plans to continue growing and expanding over the next year, taking British basketball to the next level. Over the last few months alone, we have launched our new UNBEATABLE rebrand and created an entirely new in-house production set-up with a new studio and magazine show with some of the best talent in the business – all to bring an unprecedented and exceptional viewing experience to our fans.
“The statistics from the opening period of the season are very encouraging for the continued rise of the game in the UK, and we will continue the hard work to bring the very best the League has to offer to audiences across the world as we strive for another record-breaking and UNBEATABLE season.”
2023/24 British Basketball League games are available to watch every week across Sky Sports, Sky Sports YouTube, NOW and on the British Basketball League YouTube channel.
