its about investment in clubs and/or the league.

p.s. google "bypass paywalls clean" if you use chrome for a handy chrome extension...

Well I had wondered why the head honchos had been quiet but it seems like moves are being made behind the scenes to secure the future of the league. The article cites that audiences and TV numbers are apparently up, but by how much? Who knows. Audiences are up from last year's COVID lows but I cant imagine they're anything to boast about at the moment. There are a lot of good reasons why the NBA may choose to invest in the NBL, seeing as they are actively seeking part ownership of other sports leagues, apparently. So will be interesting what we might be looking at in the next year or two. If it results in a league that is more self sufficient and can clear away some of the ugly logos, fund better players and imports, and continue to improve the product, more the better. But here is the article in full:

"The NBL has detailed its plan to follow in the footsteps of the NBA and secure the league's future through private equity and strategic partners, which could include a stake from the world’s best league.

Private investment has exploded on the global sports stage, especially in America.

In the last 20 months, Arctos Sports Partners has taken stakes in 12 American teams, including the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Blue Owl Capital’s Dyal Capital has also purchased portions of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

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The NBA as a league is also looking to invest in other leagues, which could also involve the NBL in the future.

The Australian league already has multiple NBA related investments, including that of 13 current/past NBA players involved in team ownership.

Houston Rockets guard John Wall has a stake in the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix. Picture: Getty Images
Houston Rockets guard John Wall has a stake in the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix. Picture: Getty Images
There is also a proven pathway through the NBA’s Global Academy in Canberra and the NBL’s Next Stars program, which makes joining forces with the Australian league more appealing than the current political struggles seen in the EuroLeague with FIBA.

Could we see the NBA invest in the NBL? It’s a legitimate prospect, according to commissioner Jeremy Loeliger.

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"We have a great relationship with the NBA, and we are always talking with them about ways to continue to grow the game," Loeliger told the Logue Down.

“Already we’ve learnt a lot from what they’ve achieved with the BAL and what they’re hoping to achieve in other parts of the world.

“There’s a great deal of interest in our league and our clubs from all corners of the globe of late and people are consistently asking how they can get involved.”

Loeliger points out that outside of the NBA, the NBL is arguably rated as the world’s best basketball league and people are drawn to the league’s quality and the trust it has built over the years.

Kestelman purchased the Australian men’s domestic league for $7 million in 2015, but basketball has since surged, raising the question: how much is the NBL now worth?

The league has sold the TV rights for the first time via ESPN, Foxtel, Kayo and 10 Peach, while crowds and viewership numbers have increased.

According to Loeliger, licence values have “considerably grown” in recent years, with one official saying some franchise licenses could be worth upwards of $20 million.

The NBL has also adopted new rules that allow, in some circumstances, certain types of entities to own interests in more than one NBL club.

Bryce Cotton and Jaylen Adams are two of the NBL’s biggest stars. Picture: Getty Images
Bryce Cotton and Jaylen Adams are two of the NBL’s biggest stars. Picture: Getty Images
This is a model the NBA uses and Loeliger says the NBL would like to mirror it.

“That is exactly how the NBA began courting interest from private equity firms and driving value in its club licences, which is ultimately what we would love to do here in co-operation with club owners,” he said.

“But I think owners are likely just as if not more interested in who is making these investments, rather than how much money they can attract.

“So, regardless of whether it’s private equity, or corporates or high net worth individuals and family funds, at the end of the day it’s very much about what value those partners can add from a strategic point of view as much as it is about the capital they can bring to the equation.”

Private equity has also taken off in Australia, with the A-Leagues’ landmark deal with US firm Silver Lake.

Silver Lake have taken a 33.3 per cent minority stake in the A-Leagues (men and women) worth nearly AUS$140 million (US$100 million).

The sum values the entire A-Leagues organisation at AUS$425 million (US$303 million).

This deal has prompted NBL owner Larry Kestelman to express interest in following football’s lead in an attempt to secure Australian basketball’s future.

Kestelman travelled to New York at the start of the year to talk to potential investors about expanding the ownership of the NBL.

The league confirmed conversations with potential investors continue as it edges closer to locking in financial partners to secure the competition’s future.

“It’s no secret the NBL is still in an aggressive growth mode, and is sustainable and now profitable, a trifecta for investors,” Loeliger said.

“In all honesty we were receiving expressions from offshore private equity only a couple of years after we started on this journey and that interest continues to bubble away.

“We’re certainly not in any rush, but would certainly be open to conversations with true strategic partners who could genuinely help us take our product to the next level.

“So, we are simply fielding interest but haven’t commenced a process yet but will consider our position again later in the year.

“Our current focus is to finish the year strongly and keep building our product and grow.”


In a further boost for basketball, the Sydney Kings recently announced Tesla chair Robyn Denholm as an investment partner.

For all the positives, there could be challenges as clubs have privately expressed concern about the private equity model.

Kestelman owns the 10-team NBL league, meaning the majority of profit goes to him and not the clubs.

There is a belief that the commercial categories protected by the NBL are too broad and deep, and most assets aren’t available to team owners to sell commercially."

i'm all for any big money injection to the league/teams that gets rid of the oversized sponsor banners above the team name. I'm fine if they still have shoulder sponsors and maybe one above or below the names and numbers on the back of jerseys

The interesting thing about the investment that we've seen so far is it hasnt necessarily led to bigger spending. I mean you couldn't call Brisbane a big spending team, and neither really are the Phoenix.

Thanks ME.

Perhaps a silly question but does Robyn Denholm live in Sydney or the US?

I'm guessing that being the CEO of Tesla, she lives in the US?

I'm not saying this will be the case, but closely aligning with a stronger global brand isn't always beneficial to the local product. Look at Melbourne City FC. Their owners simply don't care that they get no fans to games and that means the local game suffers.

But definitely worth having conversations.

I'm for less sponsors on jersey’s. Just look at the Brisbane Bullets home jersey. The massive white logo above the team name wrecks the whole jersey.

Shoulder sponsors are fine. Even get rid of that silly Hungry Jack’s logo.

Really hope the nbl has 11 teams by the time the nba makes an investment. 11 teams fixture is easy to run. Each team verses each other 3 times per season in a 30 game regular season.

The fixtures we have now don't make sense because each team plays their rivals 4 times.

Will it happen every season till we get 11th nbl team?

"Loeliger points out that outside of the NBA, the NBL is arguably rated as the world's best basketball league and people are drawn to the league’s quality and the trust it has built over the years."

Still pushing this BS.

The NBL is barely a Top 10 league in the world standard wise but those kind of statements aren't meant for us who know better they're meant for the sponsors and investors who wouldn't know any different.

We used to want the NBL to promote itself with confidence, and now we're sick of hearing the same line "second best league in the world".

The NBL probably isn't a top 10 league in the world. It is a pretty good league but there are a lot of leagues that have it comfortably beat and a few leagues around the same standard.

But as said, it's a line meant for investors and for people who don't know any better. You cant really blame them for doing that, or for trying to draw consistent comparisons to the NBA.

We might roll our eyes but they're sending a message to the people who need it.

I think the most important thing now is actually becoming the league that they're saying we are. How can we become the world's second best league?

It will take a lot of investment. I also think it will take throwing away import restrictions. Things like ugly courts, bland jerseys, all these things actually matter when making a visually appealing product and they're things that have stalled of late.

What I've never understood is the NBL clubs not trying to promote their images more via TV by painting courts with giant-sized logos like in college ball. Think of Kansas and their legendary jayhawk for example. Pimp out your brands instead all looking generic and non-distinct. Also most of the logos look outdated and require revamping. Jerseys have already been covered to death above but ugly sponsors are a necessity so work around those with on-court visuals.

I get sick of our ugly courts, over sponsored jersey's. If the nbl wants to show support to their teams then why can’t their teams have their logo on their home court like the Kanas Jayhawks and so on.

I do remember watching the nbl past decant and they use to put team logos on the courts.

What the nbl should do is to use technology that shows the sponsors on tv like what the nba does. Then have team logos in the middle. If Hungry Jacks is involved then just put their logo in the basketball key. Only have main sponsor printed on one side of the court. Then have team names where the cameraman sit. Singlets they could do such a better job, it’s embarrassing.

What I've never understood is the NBL clubs not trying to promote their images more via TV by painting courts with giant-sized logos like in college ball. Think of Kansas and their legendary jayhawk for example. Pimp out your brands instead all looking generic and non-distinct. Also most of the logos look outdated and require revamping. Jerseys have already been covered to death above but ugly sponsors are a necessity so work around those with on-court visuals.