As clubs, coaches, players, fans, the media, and commercial and community partners, countdown towards the big tip-off, there are reasons for the BBL family to celebrate, before a ball has even been bounced in anger.

The off-season has seen a regular and fast-paced stream of exciting new initiatives announced, as well as a number of important new commercial partnerships including the likes of Haven Holidays, Sports Direct, Spalding and Service Graphics who will be joining Molten on the roster, as well as many new sponsors at clubs around the country.

On the topic of London, there is also huge anticipation of the London Lions playing their inaugural season in the Copper Box Arena, aka ‘The Box That Rocks!’

Elsewhere, BBL action returns to the nation’s second city via the Birmingham Knights and this time next year, the BBL has already contracted to welcome two more clubs to further strengthen the league from top to bottom.

Fans will also be able to get even closer to the action in the 2013-14 season with the launch of the new BBL TV service which has already seen a significant number of fans subscribe too.

This is complimented by the coverage which will be offered by our new broadcast partner, British Eurosport, a channel available on a variety of platforms which will give the BBL a far greater reach than previously.

And, all of this feeds into what everyone is gunning for, a place in the showpiece 2013-14 season finale at Wembley Arena, when the BBL Play-off Final will be witnessed by even greater capacity than the 8,500 last season.

A new BBL independent Executive Committee structure is now in place with expertise from industry guiding the BBL.

There are also renewed partnerships with the national governing bodies, including England Basketball, Basketball Scotland and GB Basketball, driving increased participation in the sport and basketball community programmes, and increasingly successful GB national team events, men and women.

The evidence of success includes regular basketball participation now ranked as the third most played team sport in the country, and even better still, basketball has seen the highest growth of any team sport since the London Olympics.

BBL Chief Operating Officer Andy Webb said, “There has been great progress made with British basketball in the last 6 to 12 months, in particular, and, we are absolutely delighted with the feed through from the London Olympics.”

“It is a crowded sports market out there, but we are finding partners and new fans who recognize we have a very unique product at the BBL, and they want to get on board. We anticipate further important announcements in the next few weeks.”

“Our major Events are also already tracking well up on last season, and we are getting new interest from all quarters. And I have no doubt the BBL Clubs will be serving up a huge number of highly competitive and high class games, when the new season tips off this weekend.”

Story & Photo – BBL

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