Basketball in the UK is set for a major boost with a £10 million joint investment from the NBA and the UK Government, Basketball England reports.
The plan aims to take the game to communities across the country, encouraging more people to play and get active.
Basketball is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK and is the second-most-popular team sport for young people, after football. NBA fandom among adults has grown by 24% since 2022, and the league is the top US sports brand among Gen Z in the UK.
The UK Government will contribute £5 million in the first year to basketball and multi-sport facilities, part of a wider £400 million Community Sport Facilities Programme over four years.
The NBA will match this with £5 million for grassroots development and fan engagement programs through 2028, expanding its current initiatives that already reach more than 50,000 youth players across the UK each year.
The investment comes ahead of NBA regular-season games in London in January 2026 and Manchester in 2027, marking the first NBA games in the UK since 2019 and the first-ever regular-season game in Manchester.
These games could generate over £100 million in economic impact and pave the way for additional NBA events in the future.
The plan also explores investment opportunities around a potential new professional league in Europe, which could further elevate basketball in London, Manchester, and across the UK.
The collaboration focuses on making the game more accessible to under-represented groups, including women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities. Facilities will also support other sports to ensure broad community impact.
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