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John Schriffen, Jon Dorenbos and Stormy Buonantony to Call Second Weekend of SlamBall on ESPN

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced that John Schriffen, Jon Dorenbos and Stormy Buonantony will call the Second Weekend of SlamBall League: Series 6 this Thursday to Sunday on ESPN2 and ESPN +. The games will be aired live from Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas beginning Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT on ESPN2.

“One of our goals is to pair John Schriffen, who has already emerged as the voice of SlamBall on play-by-play, with a fun and engaged list of personalities throughout the season, and we welcome Jon Dorenbos and Stormy Buonantony to the mix,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall creator and CEO. “Nate Robinson and LaMonica Garrett were outstanding in week one, and we are looking forward to adding Jon and Stormy to our broadcasting team in Week Two.”

Dorenbos is making his SlamBall debut after a dual career as a two-time NFL All-Pro long snapper (which included 11 years as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles) and an accomplished magician. He is a frequent performer in Las Vegas, and was a finalist for America’s Got Talent in 2019.

Buonantony is a sideline reporter for ESPN college football and XFL, just concluding her third season across ESPN platforms. She is also a studio host for VSIN, The Sports Betting Network in Las Vegas, Nev. Stormy spent two years as the rink-side reporter and host for the Vegas Golden Knights on AT&T SportsNet. Her career has included stints as the in-stadium reporter for the Carolina Panthers for two seasons, the Mountain West’s reporter and host for three years on the conference-owned digital network, and as a sideline reporter for Campus Insiders.

SlamBall’s two-year ESPN partnership will combine to air more than 30 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 15-17 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game.

Schriffen, Robinson, Garrett, Jackson to Call Opening Weekend of SlamBall This Weekend on ESPN

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced that John Schriffen, Nate Robinson, LaMonica Garrett and Sean “Inches” Jackson will call the Opening Weekend of SlamBall League: Series 6 this Friday to Sunday on ESPN and ESPN +. The inaugural weekend’s game will be aired live from Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas beginning Friday at 7:00 p.m. EDT/4:00 p.m. PDT on ESPN.

“The combination of these four accomplished professionals really will set the stage for the reintroduction of SlamBall to the world,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall creator and CEO. “John is clearly on the rise as a play-by-play voice, while Nate, LaMonica and Inches are personalities who can talk strategy and storytelling about what many of the millions of fans tuning in may be seeing live for the first time. We couldn’t be more pleased with this mix to get us going.”

Schriffen joined ESPN in August 2020 to call the platform’s coverage of the KBO (Korea Baseball Organization). He is now heard as a play-by-play voice across ESPN’s coverage of XFL, college football, basketball, softball and baseball, NBA G-league and Summer League and MLB. Schriffen also hosts ESPN’s presentation of the NBA Draft Combine. Prior to ESPN, Schriffen was an announcer at NFL Network and CBS Sports. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Schriffen was a pitcher on the school’s baseball team his freshman year before serving as the voice of the Big Green athletics, calling baseball, basketball and hockey games on the school’s radio network.

Robinson, perhaps the prototype for today’s SlamBall athlete, was a standout football and basketball player at the University of Washington, before embarking on a long NBA career (while also getting a tryout for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks). The 21st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, the 5-foot-9-inch point guard played for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans. He is also the NBA’s first three-time slam dunk champion.

Garrett utilized his experience as one of SlamBall’s greatest athletes to transition seamlessly into a storied acting career. The San Francisco native, who is named after former Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica, played linebacker at Central State University in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles to begin an acting career while starring in the first seasons of SlamBall. He became the league’s leading scorer and one of four players announced for the All-SlamBall Team, and then landed a role in a SlamBall-themed episode on the hit show One Tree Hill. That experience was the catalyst for an acting career that has seen him featured on shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Designated Survivor, and most recently the hit series 1883. All the while, he has maintained his strong ties to SlamBall leadership and will make his sports broadcasting debut this weekend.

From his pivotal role in the initial SlamBall seasons to his continued excellence as an elite dunker, Jackson has seamlessly transitioned into a flourishing acting career, appearing in a wide variety of basketball-featured promotions and commercials.

SlamBall’s two-year ESPN partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches live from Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. EDT. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to air more than 40 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 15-17 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game.

SlamBall Establishes Athlete Health and Safety Protocols for 2023 SlamBall League: Series Six

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today announced its health and safety protocol program for its athletes for the coming 2023 SlamBall League: Series Six, which will begin July 21 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The protocols are designed to make sure all athletes are receiving the best proactive health and wellness care and prevention without sacrificing any of their elite skills.

“We are a legitimate sport first and foremost, and the health and safety of our exemplary athletes is priority one,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder. “Having been in and around SlamBall since its inception, our leadership team knows the risks and the challenges these athletes are dealing with every minute they are on the court.e are proud to have been able to address the concerns and challenges of such a high flying, action packed sport by making sure we have the right protocols and best practices in place. This makes sure that our sport is beyond reproach for anyone participating or watching as we head toward the launch on July 21.”

-All players protective equipment include: Elbow pads, knee pads, padded combat shirt, ankleroll guards/ankle braces, and custom padded and fitted head gear.
-In the event of a blow to the head SlamBall’s on-site certified athletic training team will put players through an extensive concussion evaluation protocol, and without exception players must be medically cleared before returning to play or practice.
-Players must undergo daily health and safety screenings with trained medical personnel. Injury status is updated daily and shared with coaches and executives.
-Timeouts for any injury during play will be at the discretion of the medical staff once the officials have stopped play. Players can return only when cleared by the SlamBall medical team.
-In addition to the seven-man roster, there are four players on a taxi squad who are available to any team needing to add a player due to injury. A coach may also elect to keep a player from the taxi squad in this situation and assign a different player to IR as he rehabs and returns to health. The safety of active players remains the priority, with the rosters adjusting for athletes that are cleared and able to play.
-No athletes will be able to participate in practice or games unless cleared by the medical team.
-Updates on injuries will be provided during the regular season basis as needed and as approved by medical personnel and in accordance with HIPAA rules.

SlamBall recently announced an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership with ESPN for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches live from Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. EDT. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to air more than 30 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 17-19 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game.

Tickets Now On Sale For SlamBall League: Series 6, July 21 – August 14 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today announced that tickets are now on sale for its 2023 SlamBall League Series 6, which includes 30 sessions over four consecutive weekends beginning on Friday, July 21 (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, ESPN)). Tickets are now available at https://www.unlvtickets.com/eventInfo/spe/840/slamball/ with all games held at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. Information on playoff tickets will be announced at a later date.

Tickets are priced at $30 for daily general admission, $50 for reserved and $125 for a limited number of VIP tickets, including post-game, on-court experiences with players and coaches.

Each competition day will feature two sessions of three games per session, with four teams battling in each session and all eight teams competing each night. The winners of the first two games of each session will then meet in the Main Event to determine the winner of the session.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Wednesday’s news that ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to televise more than 60 hours of regular season action and all playoff games as well as the finalas part of an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

“Las Vegas has emerged as a sports mecca, and we take great pride in being a distinctive addition to the city’s thriving sports scene,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall creator and co-founder. “SlamBall is a sport that truly comes alive when experienced in person. There is simply nothing else comparable. The games are a thrilling display of non-stop, high-speed action from end to end, showcasing the extraordinary athleticism of our players. Being just a few feet away allows you to fully appreciate their remarkable skills. And we designed the schedule to make sure SlamBall fans can witness every team and player every night.”

Opening night will feature a battle between legacy teams MOB, led by Gage Smith (Elizabeth, CO) against the Rumble and its top star Bakari Copeland (Decatur, GA) and legendary Coach Ken Carter. Other games on Opening Night include the Slashers with captain Tony Crosby II (Inglewood, CA.) vs. Lava with Bryce Moragne (Tampa, FL) and Nathaniel Harris (Hammond,IN); Wrath with Christian Gray (Riverside, CA) vs. Gryphons and Justin Holmes (Roseville, CA); and Ozone with Bryan Bell-Anderson (Sarasota, FL) vs. Buzzsaw and Michael Kolawole (Rowlett, TX).

In the ensuing weeks, matchups will be announced several days prior to each week’s sessions, which following opening weekend will be held each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through August 13. Each regular season competition date will feature two sessions, with all eight squads taking the court each night.

The full schedule, subject to change, with session start times and TV coverage is as follows:

Regular Season (two sessions per date, all times PT):

Fri, July 21, 4 p.m., ESPN
Fri, July 21, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 22, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 22, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 23, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 23, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, July 27, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, July 27, 8 p.m., ESPN
Fri, July 28, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, July 28, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 29, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 29, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 30, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 30, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 3, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 3, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Fri, August 4, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, August 4, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 5, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 5, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 6, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 6, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 10, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 10, 10 a.m., ESPN2
Fri, August 11, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, August 11, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 12, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 12, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 13, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 13, 5 p.m., ESPN+

Playoffs

Tue, August 15, SlamBall Playoffs, TBD, ESPN+
Thu, August 17, SlamBall Championship Game, 8 p.m., ESPN2

For more information about SlamBall visit http://www.slamballleague.com.

ESPN Unveils Exclusive SlamBall Summer Broadcast Schedule of More Than 60 Hours of Action

ESPN today announced the broadcast schedule for the 2023 season of SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines. SlamBall launches into action on Opening Night, Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN. The Opening Night telecast will include three games, beginning with Rumble vs. Mob and continuing with Slashers vs. Lava, and concluding with a showdown between the winners of each match.

ESPN+ will air the entire season of games beyond those on ESPN and ESPN2. The season culminates with the SlamBall Championship Game on Thursday, August 17, at 11 p.m. on ESPN2.

All games will be played at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, with ticket sales beginning on Thursday, July 6. Tickets may be purchased at http://www.slamballleague.com.

2023 SlamBall Television Schedule*:
Date, Time (ET), Platform
Fri, July 21, 7 p.m., ESPN
Fri, July 21, 9:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 22, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 22, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 23, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 23, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, July 27, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, July 27, 11 p.m., ESPN
Fri, July 28, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, July 28, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 29, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, July 29, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 30, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, July 30, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 3, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 3, 11 p.m., ESPN2
Fri, August 4, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, August 4, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 5, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 5, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 6, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 6, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 10, 8:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thu, August 10, 1 p.m., ESPN2
Fri, August 11, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Fri, August 11, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 12, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Sat, August 12, 10:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 13, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sun, August 13, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Tue, August 15, SlamBall Playoffs, TBD, ESPN+
Thu, August 17, SlamBall Championship Game, 11 p.m., ESPN2

*schedule subject to change

For more information about SlamBall exclusively on ESPN, please visit ESPN Press Room.

image: Ralph Bellamy blocked by Dionte Byrd (credit: SlamBall)

SlamBall Reveals Team Names, Logos, Rosters and Coaches for Exciting 2023 Relaunch Season

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today revealed its eight team names, logos, coaches and seven-man rosters for the League’s relaunch. The mix of standout athletes with basketball, football and track backgrounds will be led by veteran coaching staffs in SlamBall League: Series 6, opening on ESPN July 21 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

Three legacy teams – the Mob, Rumble and Slashers – will be joined by five newcomers: the Buzzsaw, Gryphons, Lava, Ozone and Wrath. Each squad is helmed by a former SlamBall player or coach, including Ken Carter, the inspiration for the acclaimed film Coach Carter, who is back with the Rumble, the team that he led to a championship in the initial 2002 SlamBall campaign.

Players were assigned to teams via a draft held earlier this month. With the first overall pick, the Lava selected former Florida A&M basketball standout Bryce Morange (Tampa, FL), who SlamBall co-founder Mason Gordon said, “might be the most complete player we’ve seen in the sport.” With the seventh pick in Round 1, Ozone head coach and SlamBall legend Trevor Anderson called the name of his son, Bryan Bell-Anderson (Sarasota, FL), who previously played defensive back at Columbia University.

“When we look at Bryce and Bryan, they represent high level basketball talent and high caliber football talent coming together in SlamBall, where basketball and football cultures collide,” said Gordon. “We were incredibly gratified to see that on draft night.”

For complete player and coach bios and team logos visit http://www.slamballleague.com.

Of the 56 players drafted, 68% have basketball backgrounds, while 16% played football, 9% were on track and field squads, and 7% participated in multiple sports . The average age of the players is 26.9 years. The tallest SlamBall player is the Ozone’s 6’9” Vincent Boumann (Newberg, OR), a former Western Oregon basketball player, while conversely the Slashers’ Tony Crosby II, a former track star at Grand Canyon University and international slam dunk champion(Inglewood, CA), stands at 5’6”.

“The players selected to compete in SlamBall are a cross-section of the best athletes in basketball, football, track and more,” added Gordon. “They possess the wide variety of abilities needed to excel in our unique mix of several sports that highlights their versatility, speed, strength and skills.”

The logos and color schemes were designed by Gameplan Creative, the Chicago-based branding team that has been instrumental in creating designs for a host of teams, leagues and organizations, including the WNBA and eight of its teams and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Gameplan also created the league logo, unveiled last week.

“The team names and logos are a nod to our history, with the Mob, Rumble and Slashers mirroring the original franchises, and also a reflection of the sport’s exciting future,” added Gordon.

SlamBall recently announced an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership with ESPN for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches on ESPN live from Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. EDT. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to air more than 30 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 17-19 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game. All games will be played at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, with ticket sales beginning in late June.

The eight teams with coach and player rosters are as follows (draft round in parentheses):

Buzzsaw, Head Coach: Hernando Plannels
Malik Abdul-Haqq, Gunner, 6-7, Seattle, WA (6)
Jamaal Barnes, Gunner, 6-3, Los Angeles, CA (3)
Ralph Bellamy, Gunner, 6-5, St. Louis, MO (4)
Michael Kolawole, Handler, 6-5, Rowlett, TX (2)
DeVonte’ Pratt, Handler, 6-1, Toledo, OH (5)
Tyquan Scott, Stopper, 6-7, Long Beach, NY (1)
Raymond Taylor, Handler, 5-10, Wichita, KS (7)

Gryphons, Head Coach: Jelani Janisse
Jordan Grant, Handler, 6-3, New London, CT (4)
Justin Holmes, Gunner, 6-3, Roseville, CA (1)
Connor Hollenbeck, Stopper, 6-6, Ontario, NY (2)
KyShawn Jones, Gunner, 6-2, Danville, VA (3)
Ermias Kassa, Gunner, 6-5, Aurora, CO (7)
Darion Slade, Handler, 6-0, Winston-Salem, NC (5)
Adam Stanford, Gunner, 6-4, Fontana, CA (6)

Lava, Head Coach: Josh Carlson
Alex Doche, Stopper, 6-7, Rochester, NY (7)
Nathanial Harris, Handler, 6-0, Hammond, IN (2)
Greg Helt, Gunner, 6-5, Denton, TX (5)
Paxton Henry, Handler, 5-11, Prescott, AZ (6)
Bryce Morange, Gunner, 6-5, Tampa, FL (1)*
Josh Shannon, Gunner/Stopper, 6-2, Louisville, KY (3)
Jihad Shockley, Stopper, 6-6, Columbus, OH (4)
*overall #1 draft pick

Mob, Head Coach: Brendan Kirsch
Dionte Byrd, Stopper, 6-7, Gainesville, FL (7)
Darius Clark, Gunner, 6-2, Blue Springs, MO (2)
Cameron Hollins, Handler/Gunner, 6-1, Avon, IN (5)
Justin Holloway, Handler, 6-1, Columbus, OH (6)
Cameron Horton, Handler, 6-2, Jacksonville, AL (1)
Brandon Simpson, Gunner, 6-4, Germantown, MD (4)
Gage Smith, Stopper/Gunner, 6-6, Elizabeth, CO (3)

Ozone, Head Coach: Trevor Anderson
Bryan Bell-Anderson, Gunner, 5-10, Sarasota, FL (1)
Vincent Boumann, Stopper, 6-9, Newberg, OR (3)
Donavin Byrd, Gunner, 6-6, Jacksonville, FL (7)
LaQuavius Cotton, Gunner, 6-6, Cleveland, MS (5)
Jordan Jones, Gunner/Stopper, 6-6, Clovis, NM (4)
Keenan Love, Stopper, 6-3, Kankakee, IL (6)
Keith McGee, Handler, 6-3, Rochester, NY (2)

Rumble, Head Coach: Ken Carter
Marcus Bradley, Stopper, 6-6, Highland, CA (4)
Bakari Copeland, Gunner/Stopper, 6-6, Decatur, GA (1)
Victorious Dean, Gunner, 6-6, San Diego, CA (5)
Tamyrik Fields, Gunner, 6-7, Augusta, GA (2)
Kaylon Tippins-Hill, Gunner, 6-7, Fort Worth, TX (3)
Richard Washington, Gunner, 6-6, Williamsburg, VA (6)
JaeTuan Williams, Handler, 6-2, Warren, OH (7)

Slashers, Head Coach: Stanley Fletcher Jr.
Tony Crosby II, Handler, 5-6, Inglewood, CA (4)
Brian Gentry, Stopper, 6-2, Winston-Salem, NC (7)
Naradain James, Gunner, 6-7, Kalamazoo, MI (6)
Bradley Laubacher, Gunner, 6-3, Bend, OR (2)
Alonzo Scott, Gunner, 6-4, Petersburg, VA (3)
Amir Smith, Stopper, Missouri City, TX (1)
Matthew Wilkerson, Stopper, 6-7, Citra, FL (5)

Wrath, Head Coach: James Willis
Christian Gray, Stopper, 6-6, Riverside, CA (1)
Ryan Johnson, Gunner, 5-10, Willowbrook, IL (6)
Steven Julian, Gunner, 6-7, Louisville, KY (3)
Trey Landers, Stopper, Handler, 6-5, Dayton, OH (4)
Ty McGee, Gunner, 6-5, Littleton, CO (2)
Nick Parks, Handler, 6-4, Lithonia, GA (7)
Shawn Stith, Stopper, 6-8, East Oakland, CA (5)

SlamBall Unveils ‘SlamMan’ New Color Scheme and Logo for 2023 Relaunch Season

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today unveiled “SlamMan,” their new logo in advance of the upcoming relaunch with SlamBall League: Series 6.

The logo and color scheme were designed by Gameplan Creative, the Chicago-based branding team that has been instrumental in creating designs for a host of teams, leagues and organizations, including the WNBA and eight of its teams and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The league logo will appear with all other creative going forward.

“We are honored to be able to work with Tom O’Grady, Brigitte Smith, Pat Aguilar and the team at Gameplan Creative to deliver this new look in advance of our training camp and return to play season,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder and CEO. “Tom has overseen some of the most well respected and distinctive looks in our industry, especially those in and around the NBA and the WNBA, and the input and attention to detail of his team was outstanding. We welcome SlamMan to the family.”

The new SlamBall logo process focused on the slam dunk player silhouette placed within the parallelogram shapes, evocative of the sport’s signature tramps (springbeds). The new black and gold color scheme is a modern incarnation that reflects the power, speed and creativity of the sport.

“Having an opportunity to design a league logo, brand individual teams, and create uniform designs is like winning the lottery in the creative world – beyond that, having that opportunity with the transcendent sport of SlamBall – it’s truly out of this world!,” said Brigitte Smith, Creative Director at Gameplan Creative, who oversaw most of the work on the logo. “I believe what we have created is a reflection of what the brand truly is – a powerful sport taken to great heights. The design of the logo exhibits the power of a SlamBall player as well as the majestic caliber of height displayed when flying 15 feet midair.

SlamBall, ESPN Announce Exclusive Two-Year Broadcast Partnership for the 2023 and 2024 Seasons

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, today announced an exclusive, two-year national broadcast partnership with ESPN for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The partnership begins on Opening Night, as SlamBall relaunches live from Las Vegas on July 21 from 7-9 p.m. EDT. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to air more than 30 hours of live SlamBall programming across five weekends, culminating August 17-19 with the SlamBall Playoffs and SlamBall Championship Game. All games will be played at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, with ticket sales beginning on June 27.

“ESPN’s multi-year commitment to SlamBall is further validation of the enormous appeal and growth potential of our sport,” said SlamBall creator and CEO Mason Gordon. “The level of interest in our hybrid team sport not just in the U.S., but across the world, has been beyond our expectations for the 2023 season. It’s clear that this is the best talent we have had in the sport’s history.”

“Mason and I couldn’t help but respond to the #BringBackSlamBall clamor,” said SlamBall co-founder Mike Tollin. “Live sports dominate the airwaves these days and audiences are looking for the next big thing. It’s a thrill to collaborate with ESPN in bringing this ground-breaking sport back to the world.”

“We are excited to partner with SlamBall, a league that combines elements of some of our fans’ favorite sports, resulting in a unique game that is sure to entertain viewers across ESPN’s platforms.” said Ashley O’Connor, Sr. Director, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN.

The broadcast team, production details, and full broadcast schedule will be announced in the next few weeks. SlamBall has a long-term partnership with global premium experiences company Legends to provide e-commerce and on-site event retail; global, data-driven partnership strategy and execution; and business intelligence with actionable insights to drive revenue across all areas of the league. David Levy at Horizon Sports and Experiences is providing additional sponsorship sales support in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

SlamBall recently closed an $11 million Series A round led by Roger Ehrenberg’s IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital (Owner and Advisory Board Member, Miami Marlins, Betr, Simplebet) with participation from strategic investors across sports, gaming, entertainment, and media. Strategic investors include David Blitzer (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Cleveland Guardians, Crystal Palace), David Adelman (76ers, NJ Devils), Michael Rubin (Fanatics), Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX, Major League Pickleball), and Blake Griffin (Boston Celtics power forward and six-time NBA All-Star), as well as Kevin Nagle (Sacramento Kings), Lloyd Danzig (Sharp Alpha), Legends, Brian Lovell (Red Games), Jesse Sharf (Gibson Dunn), Accelerate Sports, and Eric Manlunas (Wavemaker Partners). Accelerate Sports provided investment banking services for the round.

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