German league sets new growth targets, including doubling teams budgets / News - Basketnews.com

The German Basketball League (BBL) announced a new league strategy at its meeting held in mid-November. With its "Triple Double" orientation, the league aims to drive the doubling of key performance indicators of the three main growth drivers.

Credit: Christina Pahnke/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Christina Pahnke/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

At their strategy meeting on November 14 and 15, 2022, the 18 clubs of the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga approved the new league strategy until 2032 with a broad majority.

The course was thus set to continue the substantial growth over the next ten years. However, the fact that teams with smaller budgets, in particular, are coming under enormous pressure is already clear from the three main key figures.

Specifically, the easyCredit BBL has set itself the goal of doubling relevant key figures along three growth drivers by 2032. The aim is to:

Club budgets are to be doubled within ten years. The target for 2032 is a combined club budget of around €200 million. Reach in TV, Digital platforms (websites and apps), and social media areas to be doubled. Double the teams' sporting successes, especially in international club competitions, and raise the BBL's status in international comparisons.

This objective is to be called the "Triple Double". Following this, the clubs have decided on initial measures to target the above objectives and indicators.

Minimum budget: the minimum budget will be doubled from the current €3 million to €6 million in 2032 for the 2032-33 season. This will be achieved in steps of 500,000 euros every two years, with the minimum budget initially remaining at 3 million euros in the 2023-24 season and then being raised to 3.5 million euros in the first step in 2024-25. Minimum arena capacity: From the 2032-33 season, the minimum hall capacity of currently 3,000 seats is to be determined to an extent by the size of the respective city. From the 2032-33 season, the minimum capacity should not fall below 4,500. A minimum capacity of 1% of the nearest 100,000 inhabitants will be required. Thus, a club in a city with 650,000 inhabitants must have a hall with at least 7,000 seats.

Play-In mode: To increase the sporting attractiveness, play-in games will be introduced from the 2023-24 season.Only the teams placed from 1st to 6th seeds will be guaranteed playoffs spot. Teams from 7th to 10th place will play out the other two playoff spots in three deciding games.In addition, the easyCredit BBL will make an offer to the 2nd division (ProA) to expand the BBL Cup and include a qualifying round involving the top six teams in the ProA. This modification is also to be introduced for the 2023-24 season. Communications: At the start of the partnership with the new media partner DYN Media for the upcoming 2023-24 season, the digital communications of the clubs and the league will be expanded.It includes quantity and accessibility in terms of quality to reach more target groups with an affinity for sports with relevant content. To this end, at least one full-time permanent position in digital content management will be mandatory for clubs from that time on.

More spread: The already good starting position at the BBL locations, particularly in the elementary schools, will be further expanded. The long-term goal is to offer basketball at all 15,000 elementary schools across Germany within the next ten years. As part of the adopted BBL sustainability strategy, programs will be established to integrate children from disadvantaged families into sports. Furthermore, targeted regional development at BBL locations will be stipulated in licensing in the future.

Training system: the training of Bundesliga players by the club's own junior staff is to be rewarded more financially in the future. To this end, the existing regulations will be adapted and supported by providing additional financial resources.

In the coming months and years, further measures will be defined that will pay dividends toward these goals.

"I would like to thank all our clubs for their intensive work, the always constructive discussions, and, above all, the undoubtedly ambitious and also somewhat courageous resolutions," said Alexander Reil, President of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft BBL e.V. "The 'Vision 2020' has already made a decisive contribution to the excellent development of the easyCredit BBL over the past ten years."

"The 'Strategy 2032: Triple Double' will also set the course that will unite clubs and focus on a common goal. This strategy will help each club to develop further at its location under specific conditions," he added.

"The 'Strategy 2032: Triple Double' is the long-awaited perspective we are giving ourselves for the next ten-year cycle," continued Dr. Stefan Holz, Managing Director of the easyCredit BBL. "Achieving the objectives associated with this will strengthen and expand the position of the easyCredit BBL in the German professional sports landscape in the battle for the attention and time of people with an affinity for sports in competition with other national and international sports and entertainment offerings."

"By looking at ourselves and continuing to grow along the central dimensions, other comparative developments will virtually take care of themselves. Clubs and the league will work hard - especially with our new media partner DYN Media and its majority shareholder Axel Springer - to achieve the goals we have set ourselves," concluded Holz.

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