Warner Bros. Discovery, in collaboration with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal and Authentic Brands Group, is set to launch a groundbreaking professional league dedicated to dunking, named “Dunkman,” in the summer of 2026. This initiative marks a strategic move by Warner's TNT Sports to innovate within the sports entertainment landscape, particularly as the company navigates evolving traditional sports broadcasting rights.

Shaquille O’Neal, who will serve as the commissioner of the new league, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the current state of the NBA’s dunking contests, noting a decline in innovation, creativity, and star power over the past decade. His vision for “Dunkman” is to elevate dunking from a mere contest to a fully organized professional league, attracting the best dunkers from around the world. The league aims to provide a platform for these athletes, whom O’Neal considers professional athletes deserving of a structured environment.

The inaugural season of “Dunkman” will feature 24 highly skilled dunkers competing live across four distinct events. Finalists will ultimately vie for a prestigious world championship title and a substantial grand prize of $500,000. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co. has also partnered with the league, underscoring the broad appeal and potential of this new venture.

The genesis of “Dunkman” can be traced back to a successful six-episode competition held late last year, which demonstrated the strong audience interest in high-level dunking. This launch is part of a broader trend among media companies to gain greater control over sports rights and programming schedules, given the continuously rising costs associated with broadcasting top-tier leagues like the NFL and NBA. Craig Barry, executive vice president and chief content officer of Warner’s TNT Sports, emphasized this strategic shift, stating, “We’ve kind of come to the conclusion that these guys are professional athletes that need to be organized,” and that there is a clear opportunity to bring such a league to fans who already engage with dunking content on digital and social media.

Content distribution for “Dunkman” will be extensive, with live league events airing across TNT, TBS, truTV, and HBO Max. Additionally, a wealth of supplementary content will be streamed across “Dunkman” social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights, and YouTube, ensuring wide accessibility for fans. Lee White, head of sports content at WME, which represents O’Neal, highlighted Shaq’s profound passion for the concept, noting his commitment to building “something entirely new” rather than just lamenting the problems of existing dunk contests. O’Neal himself cited an example of a Polish doctor participating in the initial competition with surprising skills, reinforcing his belief that the league will introduce new, exceptional athletes to the public. He firmly stated, “This is a new professional league, not a dunking contest. We are calling all dunkers.”