BBL confirms season on hold after latest government restrictions

The BBL has confirmed the 2020-21 season will be delayed, following the latest government guidelines that sees fans not being allowed to return to sport venues indefinitely.

With teams having been in advanced stages of their pre-season preparations for the season, scheduled to start on 2 October, the bombshell last week has derailed plans for the season and left clubs facing heavy financial losses.

The league confirmed discussions are ongoing with the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) for a potential government aid package to help keep clubs and the league afloat.

Hoopsfix understands BBL & WBBL clubs were required to gather and submit their financial data to the leagues by today with the potential losses they are facing due to COVID-19, as the government will use this to help assess the amount needed for a potential aid package.

BBL Chair Sir Rodney Walker, has written to Secretary of State Oliver Dowden in support of a submission for financial support being made by the BBL in conjunction with the national governing body, Basketball England.

In the letter, Sir Rodney detailed the impact on the BBL and WBBL as well as the effects being felt on the community work carried out by clubs. The letter was also sent to Nigel Huddleston, Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, and to Nick Bitel, Chair of Sport England.

Do you like our work?

We have a tiny favour to ask. In 2018 we set out to make Hoopsfix sustainable by building our relationship directly with our readers. Up until now, Hoopsfix has been creating editorials, videos and podcasts to provide sorely missing coverage of the British game and its distinct culture and community.

We have funded Hoopsfix with our freelance work creating basketball media, but sadly that means not only does it fall behind our client’s priorities, but some of those clients are the same organisations we need to report objectively on putting us in a conflicted position.

We want to devote more time to our mission of helping British basketball reach its potential, and produce even more content for the basketball community by making Hoopsfix a sustainable 100% independent business funded directly by our readers through Patreon.

If everyone who enjoys our content chose to support us, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $3 per month, you can support Hoopsfix – and it only takes a minute.

We are tremendously honoured and humbled to have a community of people who value what we do, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the British game as it continues to evolve.

Support Hoopsfix