New basketball company formed to run BBL league

PLYMOUTH City Patriots have said they will work with other clubs and Premier Basketball Limited after it was announced yesterday that a three-year interim licence has been awarded to the newly-formed company to run professional basketball in the UK.

- STUART JAMES

Premier Basketball is a consortium formed by a number of current BBL clubs and have attained the rights to the league from Basketball League Limited (BLL), who owned the licence for the Patriots, as well as London Lions and Manchester Giants.

The agreement with BLL was terminated in June due to clear breaches of the licence and indications that BLL’s financial position would result in the company being unable to carry out its functions as operator of the league.

The award of an interim licence to Premier Basketball Limited enables preparations for the 2024/25 season to be completed and provides a stable basis for the consolidation of progress made in recent years. But while that is good news for the sport, mystery continues to surround what it will mean for the Patriots, who are not believed to be a part of the Premier Basketball Limited consortium.