GBB League Ltd (GBBL), the recently awarded operator of Great Britain’s professional league operating license, has announced its growth plans with the aim of fielding 10 clubs for launch in the 2026/27 season – including potential franchises in London, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, Southampton/Portsmouth, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Coventry.

The group, which was controversially awarded a 15-year exclusive licence from the British Basketball Federation (BBF), will invite interested parties to apply for franchise rights in the coming weeks.

“We will set forth a broad range of criteria,” said GBBL CEO Marshall Glickman.  “Most important, we want owners that are fully aligned with our strategy to grow the game from the grassroots to the elite level, and to provide fans with an incredible and affordable experience.

“Of course, we will continue to reach out to the existing SLB clubs and are committed to the growth and sustainability of all clubs.”

The SLB clubs have not engaged with GBBL, claiming the BBF has acted unlawfully in its process to appoint a new operator to run the men’s league.

The announcement comes alongside confirmation of two high-profile investors joining the GBBL leadership group: Sir Keith Mills, the architect of London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid and former Tottenham Hotspur director, and WestRiver Group (WRG), an investment platform led by Topgolf backer Erik Anderson.

“We are thrilled that our friends at WRG and Sir Keith Mills are standing behind our long-term strategy to uplift the popularity of basketball in Great Britain,” Glickman said.

“Bringing WRG and Sir Keith Mills together with me and my partners, Chris Dillavou, former COO of the Greg Norman Companies, and Arjun Metre, former Sports, Media & Entertainment Investment Director at Intel Capital, brings GBBL a wealth of leadership and operational experience across sport, real estate, licensing, and fan experience.

“We are bullish on the opportunities ahead.”

WRG CEO Erik Anderson added:

“The WRG team has advised, built, and scaled global sports brands. I look forward to collaborating with GBBL and my friend Sir Keith Mills. Together we will put British basketball in its right standing as a respected global sports league that inspires young people and exhibits cultural best values. We look forward to a leadership role in the new league.”

Glickman also welcomed the recent formation of the British Basketball Fans Association (BBFA), while alluding to the impending presence of the NBA Europe League in the UK.

“The fans are the most important stakeholders, so we are pleased that an official fan group has been formed.  We look forward to meeting them in person in the near future.

“We want to assure that their fans are a part of the future of British basketball, especially in anticipation of two NBA Europe clubs potentially joining our league.”

Major questions still remain around not only what is going to happen next season with no current plans for an officially licensed professional league, but where 10 new franchises with fanbases are going to come from and which venues they will be able to find to play out of.