Fans launch BBFA to seek answers following BBF licence controversy

With British basketball entering one of its most turbulent periods in recent memory, fans are taking matters into their own hands.

This week, a new national body – the British Basketball Fans Association (BBFA) – officially launched, vowing to give supporters a voice at the highest levels of the sport.

The BBFA’s first move will be to host a Fan Forum on Thursday, May 1st, at 8 p.m. BST via Zoom, the night before the SLB Play-offs tip off (you can sign up to register your interest at thebbfa.org).

The session will gather questions and concerns from fans across the country, helping shape an open letter to the British Basketball Federation (BBF), Super League Basketball (SLB), and new league licence holders, GBBL Ltd.

“British basketball fans deserve more than silence,” a BBFA spokesperson said in a statement. “They deserve a clear roadmap for the sport they’ve built and supported for decades. Decisions made behind closed doors must be brought into the light.”

The creation of the BBFA comes amid rising frustration over the BBF’s decision to award a 15-year professional league licence to GBBL Ltd. The move followed a tender process that has been widely criticised within the basketball community as rushed, opaque, and poorly managed.

Almost a month after the announcement, GBBL has yet to release any public details about its plans for the new league, which is scheduled to launch in the 2026–27 season.

Meanwhile, SLB has confirmed it will operate through the 2025–26 season without a BBF or FIBA licence — a move that could leave professional British basketball without regulatory oversight for an entire year.

Supporters, players, and clubs are now being asked to back a system without clarity on governance, club participation, player development pathways, or long-term sustainability.

The BBFA’s first initiative, the Campaign for Clarity, will press leadership for immediate answers to key issues:

– The risks and consequences of an unsanctioned 2025–26 season

– How GBBL plans to build a professional league from the ground up

– What safeguards exist for existing clubs and their fanbases

– Why the BBF selected an operator with no proven ties to the domestic game — and no public engagement to date

For more information visit thebbfa.org.

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