17
Sep
CODE Sports
NBL boss declares 'we have arrived'
NBL owner Larry Kestelman speaks to the media during a NBL media announcement at Hoops Capital East on May 12, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images for the NBL
In the space of a decade the NBL has gone from the brink of collapse to a respected global product
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NBL boss Larry Kestelman has proudly declared the sport has “arrived”, writes Matt Logue and Michael Randall from CODE Sports Basketball.
When Kestelman took over the NBL in 2015, the competition had one sponsor, no media deal while officials hoped to attract an average audience of just 4,200.
Heading into his 11th season in charge, Australia’s domestic basketball competition is a powerhouse widely regarded as the best pathway to the NBA.
The NBL will be watched by 200-plus countries and territories this season, with the hope of record numbers in Asia after attracting 700,000 viewers per game in China last year.
Code Sports also revealed the NBL is close to inking deals with the NBA League Pass to further expand the league’s reach into the American market.
On the eve of the NBL26 tip-off, Kestelman is pinching himself at how far the league has come in a short period.
“I feel like we’ve arrived and I almost feel like we’ve completed the journey,” Kestelman said.
“We’ve got the best exposure we could possibly hope for, we’re as global as we could hope."
For the full story on CODE Sports, click here.
