The British Basketball Federation welcomes the announcement of the leadership roles of WestRiver Group and Sir Keith Mills within the investment group backing GBBL, which has been awarded the long-term licence to operate the premier British men’s professional league. The whole of British basketball will benefit from their world-class capacities as evidenced through their extensive achievements in sports business and beyond. We look forward to working with them to fulfil our shared ambitions for the sustainable growth and success of British basketball.

See the GBBL full statement below:

GBB League Ltd (GBBL) Announces Key Partners and Expansion Process

WestRiver Group with their advisor, Sir Keith Mills, announced as partners to GBBL

GBBL to launch process to secure clubs in multiple British towns and cities and welcomes dialogue with British Basketball Fans Association

GBBL announced today that Sir Keith Mills and WestRiver Group (WRG), led by Erik Anderson, have joined the leadership of the GBBL investment group. GBBL entered into an exclusive licence with the British Basketball Federation (BBF) to operate the premier men’s professional basketball league in Great Britain for 15 years. WRG, Sir Keith Mills, and a consortium of investors that include athletes, sports team owners, and international family offices, have expressed their support of GBBL in its mission to provide fans with a compelling and affordable basketball experience.

“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,” said GBBL CEO and partner Marshall Glickman, former president of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and former Acting CEO of EuroLeague Basketball. “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.”

Sir Keith Mills has been involved at a senior level in British sport since he led the team to secure the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for London. He then went on to chair the 2012 Organising Committee, LOCOG, alongside Lord Coe. In addition, he has been instrumental in establishing the British America’s Cup team with Sir Ben Ainslie and was asked by Prince Harry to devise and establish the Invictus Games. He was a director of Tottenham Hotspur for over 10 years and has established a number of major sports foundations.

WRG is led by Founder and CEO Erik Anderson, a global innovation leader, investor, and philanthropist. WRG is a thematically-driven investment platform that manages funds and builds companies in the global innovation economy. WRG was a lead investor in Topgolf, founded in England in 2000, which has grown to 100+ outdoor venues with the mission to enable guests to play, have fun and to hit 50 billion golf balls between 2022 and 2025. WRG is also a lead investor in TOCA, the world’s first tech-enabled soccer experience company, which has social venues in London (inside the O2 Arena), Birmingham, and a new location opening in Westfield London in June.

WRG CEO Erik Anderson said, “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 added, “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.”

GBBL will shortly issue invitations to various parties including those that have already indicated interest to secure the right to operate expansion clubs in Great Britain. Those markets include London, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, Southampton/Portsmouth, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Coventry. Once interested parties are screened, a formal tender process will commence, as GBBL intends to field 10 clubs when it launches in 2026/27.

“We will set forth a broad range of criteria,” said 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. 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.”

End.

Media contact:

Gary Double

Double Communications for GBBL

T – 07768825114

E – gary@doublecomms.com