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The inaugural season averaged 3,500 fans for regular-season games.
Photo by: AFRICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE (2) |
The African Basketball League will be expanding its season and the number of teams this fall after drawing a total attendance of about 120,000 in its inaugural season.
The ABL will expand from six teams in four countries to 10 teams in eight countries in its second season, said Ugo Udezue, ABL founder and CEO. Teams will be added in Burkina Faso, Benin, Rwanda and Brazzaville, Congo.
Additionally, the second season will be about a month longer, beginning in November and ending in March.
The first season ran from March until June of this year, with an average attendance of 3,500 for regular-season games and more than 5,000 for some of the special events, including the all-star and playoff games, said Udezue, a Nigerian native who works as an agent for the U.S.-based NBA player representation practice BDA Sports.
The league played 32 games, including an All-Star Game and a final four format championship, which resulted in the Abidjan Ramblers being named the first ABL champion.
Udezue said the ABL founders found the first year to be a learning experience for what is believed to be the first professional basketball league in Africa.
“We came into a space that has never been utilized before and we did not know what to expect,” Udezue said.
One major surprise was that data showed that 95 percent of the people who came to an ABL game had never been to a basketball game before and about half of the paid attendees were women. Ticket prices ranged from about $5 to $50.
“It became more of a social environment,” Udezue said, adding that African celebrities, including actors and musicians, attended the games.
The ABL hosted teams in Dakar, Senegal; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; and Libreville, Gabon, as well as three teams in Lagos, Nigeria, one of the largest cities in Africa.
Sponsors in the first season included Radisson Blu, ASKY Airlines, Wakanow, Cornerstone Insurance, Union Bank and Cruz Vodka. Udezue said they are in talks with more than 20 sponsors for the next season, as well as additional investors, who he declined to name.
As previously reported, Udezue, Nigerian businessman Ralph Tamuno, and former NBA player and Nigerian native Obinna Ekezie are the founding owners of the league.
Ekezie said he was pleasantly surprised by the level of play, the fan turnout and the entertainment during the games. But he noted downsides, too.
“It was way more work than we expected,” Ekezie said. “Dealing with operational issues wasn’t easy. Travel and logistics was also quite a lot of work, so the operational teams were working very long hours to ensure that the season was successful. Also, costs were more than expected.”
Udezue wouldn’t reveal financials of the league. He said the ABL did not make a profit, but it wasn’t expected to in year one.
“Despite all the hurdles and challenges, we were successful, in my opinion,” Udezue said. “We changed the narrative and prospects of professional basketball in Africa.”
