• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now
exclusive
Leagues

‘F1 for Basketball’: International League Effort Does Not Want to Challenge NBA

LeBron James is not involved in the effort—though Maverick Carter’s role will certainly lead many to assume that James has his hands in it behind the scenes.

tip off
Mike Carter-Imagn Images

A report about an expensive effort to launch a new international basketball league made waves late Wednesday. Bloomberg reported that a group of investors advised by Maverick Carter, a childhood friend and longtime business partner of LeBron James, has tapped UBS and Evercore to raise up to $5 billion to set up a new international league “to rival the National Basketball Association,” in Bloomberg’s phrasing.

Multiple sources tell Front Office Sports that the league does not want to compete with the NBA and is aiming to be “an F1 for basketball.” 

As FOS also reported, James himself is not involved in the effort—though Carter’s role will certainly lead many to assume that James has his hands in it behind the scenes, or could eventually take an active role.

The international league, taking a page from the books of other recent shorter-season spectacles in golf, racing, and women’s basketball, plans to play its games in eight cities and spend just two weeks in each city, with Singapore on the list of destinations, FOS sources said.

The NBA’s viewership was a hotly contested topic through the first two months of this season, as the league’s TV ratings dipped by as much as 18% from last year, and 26% for ESPN games. But a very strong Christmas Day slate shrunk that deficit to 3% (and led to a 5% increase in ESPN viewership), more comparable with the 2.2% year-over-year drop also registered by the NFL this year for its regular season.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

ESPN headquarters
exclusive

ESPN Editor Leaves for Ring Mag Amid Cristina Daglas Investigation

Elizabeth Baugh had been at ESPN for nearly a decade.

In the NIL Era, College Basketball’s Biggest Programs Keep Winning

Only Power 4 teams qualified for the men’s Sweet 16.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive

Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football, Serena Williams Exploring Franchise

Ohanian is the first known bidder for the flag football leagues.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
April 1, 2025

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
April 1, 2025

NFL Tush Push Vote Has Been Pushed

Owners table a vote on the highly debated quarterback sneak play.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
March 31, 2025

Major Unrivaled Injury Hits WNBA

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton injured her meniscus at the new Miami league.
exclusive
March 31, 2025

NFL Considers Backers for Pro Flag Football Leagues Ahead of LA28

The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are seen as a likely watershed event.