090 SPORT


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bright future Shooting for a


It’s not been on television for years and it’s still perceived as a rather American sport. The story behind British basketball, however, might surprise you – but that’s nothing compared to ambitious development plans that include a showcase event at the O2 this autumn


David Leck © Sport England


notice. And when that move is within an arena outside of his usual sphere of interest you know it won’t be long before the bandwagon starts rolling. That’s exactly what’s happened with Barry Hearn’s investment in a showcase


W


hen an icon of sport pipes up and puts his money on the table people start taking


British Basketball League (BBL) event at London’s O2 arena this September. It will see the country’s top eight teams compete both for a title and share of a £100,000 prize fund courtesy of the influential sports promoter best known for his work in boxing. In fact, British basketball’s performance


is impressive. Despite the numbers playing down almost 8% year-on-year,


Sport England’s last annual review of the country’s most popular participatory sports saw basketball at 16 out of 33, ahead of judo, rugby league, rowing and hockey, with 150,000 people aged 16 or over playing each week. Bob Hope is Commercial Director of the BBL and has been involved with it for almost 30 years. Who better than him to give an appraisal of a sport that’s not just heading back to fl agship arenas, it’s on its way back to television too?


“Basketball started well in this country but when television coverage stopped it lost its way. Happily it’s now back. We’ve just signed a contract with the BBC to televise 32 games and another with the Perform Group that will make some 200 games available to watch on streaming services. That, together with the British Basketball All-Stars Championships at the O2 in September, is a game changer,” he explains. “Basketball is in an exciting phase and one of the most important moves is clubs deciding they want to own their own arenas. This is huge because it gives them control over their destinies. Leicester and Manchester have already opened, while others in Newcastle and Sheffi eld are at the planning stage, as are sites in Scotland.”


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