Strong NBL growth continues

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

"We set some very ambitious goals before the start of the season and the results have exceeded even these aggressive targets."

Three weeks into the new season, the Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) is as hot as ever, with broadcast numbers, attendances, and digital engagement continuing to rise at unprecedented rates.

Broadcast audience has increased by more than 40% year-on-year, with more people locked into the NBL on ESPN. The international footprint of the NBL’s broadcast also keeps expanding, with every game in the USA on ESPN3.

Basketball fans are also filling the grandstands, with attendances up 17% and stadium capacity at more than 80% for the season to date. There have been 4 sell-outs so far and 10 games with a crowd of over 8,000.

The NBL App has boomed with a 57% increase in downloads, while traffic to the app and website has jumped almost 50%.

On the court the season is tracking to be the closest ever, with the margin of victory across the first 22 games the smallest in League history.

“We set some very ambitious goals before the start of the season and the results have exceeded even these aggressive targets,” NBL CEO David Stevenson said.

“The feedback across the board has been incredible and we are seeing tremendous uplift across broadcast, attendance, digital engagement and several other key areas that we identify as critical growth indicators.

“With another massive round ahead, including marquee match-ups like the 36ers v Wildcats, United v Breakers and Kings v JackJumpers, we look forward to seeing the unprecedented growth continue.

“There’s so much significant growth when it comes to our great game and the League itself, and we intend to keep improving our product and experience to ensure our fans enjoy every touch-point we provide them - whether it be watching games on TV or coming to our stadiums for a truly unique, family-friendly experience.”

Download the NBL App by clicking here.

The 2023/24 Hungry Jack’s NBL season continues on Thursday night, with the Adelaide 36ers hosting the South East Melbourne Phoenix at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre at 7:30pm AEDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo Sports.