BAL – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the Basketball Africa League?

The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between NBA Africa and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that will tip off its sixth season in March 2026.

Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized across the continent and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.

Five teams from four African countries have won the BAL Championship: Zamalek (Egypt; 2021), US Monastir (Tunisia; 2022), Al Ahly (Egypt; 2023), Petro de Luanda (Angola; 2024) and Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya; 2025).

Fans can follow the BAL (@theBAL) on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and YouTube and register their interest in receiving more information at BAL.NBA.com.

2. Why did the NBA and FIBA launch the BAL?

The BAL is the culmination of the NBA and FIBA’s deep connection to Africa through more than two decades of work to grow the continent’s basketball ecosystem and provide African players with a predictable pathway to learn the game and maximize their potential.

As youth players participate in NBA Africa and FIBA Africa’s basketball development programming, they can progress from the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and NBA Basketball School (youth) to Basketball Without Borders (BWB) and NBA Academy (elite), and ultimately to the BAL.

Having a professional basketball league in Africa supported by the NBA and FIBA expands and strengthens the basketball ecosystem by providing a platform for top talent to 1) compete in a professional league without having to leave the continent, 2) showcase their talent on a global stage, and 3) inspire more young boys and girls across the continent to play the game.

3. How do the 12 teams qualify?

The national league champions from seven countries automatically qualify: Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.

Five teams qualify through “Road to the BAL” tournaments conducted by FIBA Africa, which feature national league champions from the remaining countries on the continent.

4. How does the BAL determine which countries automatically qualify?

NBA Africa and FIBA Africa look at several factors, including each country’s basketball tradition, recent performance, basketball infrastructure and compliance with FIBA governance.

5. What countries have hosted BAL games?

Five countries have hosted BAL games over the league’s first six seasons: Egypt (2022-24), Morocco (2025-26), Rwanda (2021-26), Senegal (2022-25) and South Africa (2024-26).

6. How has the BAL grown over the league’s first five seasons?

The BAL’s fifth season in 2025 set records across attendance, viewership and merchandise sales.

A record of more than 140,000 fans attended the BAL games in Morocco, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa.

Total attendance has more than tripled since the league’s first season playing in multiple markets (2022).

The BAL YouTube channel generated a record 3.5 million live views (+84% year-over-year).

7. Why is the BAL exploring a franchise model?

The BAL’s exploration of a franchise model reflects the success of the league over its first five seasons and the enormous growth opportunities for permanent franchises and the league as a whole in the years to come.

Permanent franchises will deepen fan engagement opportunities for those teams, provide them with additional commercial opportunities in their markets, allow them to attract and retain better talent, and thereby accelerate the growth of the game in their markets and across the continent.

8. How many permanent franchise spots is the BAL aiming to sell and what is the timeframe for the BAL to have its first permanent franchise?

That will be dictated by the level of interest in the marketplace, but the league will continue to have open spots that teams can qualify for through FIBA Africa’s “Road to the BAL.”

9. How will the league assess franchise proposals and is there a financial threshold that franchise proposals need to meet?

Each proposal will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In addition to economic viability, equally important are factors like a track record of developing successful businesses, a deep understanding of the local market and its growth potential, and a commitment to growing basketball in that market, including through investment in infrastructure, player development, and engaging fans in new and creative ways.

The media coverage below provides additional context about the BAL’s exploration of a franchise model.

Bloomberg, September 29, 2025

Andscape, October 30, 2025

Forbes, November 18, 2025