Tag Archives: slamball

Pabst Blue Ribbon Named ‘The Official Exclusive Beer Partner’ For SlamBall’s 2024 and 2025 Seasons

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics co-founded by Mike Tollin and Mason Gordon, announced today that Pabst Blue Ribbon has been named “The Official Exclusive Beer Partner” for the worldwide 2024 and 2025 seasons. Pabst Blue Ribbon will become the title sponsor of the SlamBall Summer Series Dunk Contest and will work with SlamBall to build out special year-round consumer activations, with more details to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Pabst Blue Ribbon as our Official and Exclusive Beer Partner,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall Co-founder. “SlamBall fans will see Pabst Blue Ribbon be featured in SlamBall programming across the ESPN platform, in exciting new social media initiatives and as the title sponsor of the Pabst Blue Ribbon Dunk Contest. As a young, emerging sport we couldn’t be more proud to have a comprehensive multi-year partnership with a brand that will be celebrating its 180th year.”

“SlamBall brings the energy, excitement, and disruption to sports with an attitude and independent spirit that parallels the Pabst Blue Ribbon brand through its 180 years,” said Josh Feingold – Senior Director of Marketing Partnerships of Pabst. “We only scratched the surface last season and are thrilled to be partnered with SlamBall moving forward.”

Dates and details for SlamBall: Series 7, which will be held this summer, as well as potential domestic and international touring events for early and mid 2024, are currently being finalized.

SlamBall returned last summer to rave reviews and record responses across every measurement tool. The numbers included massive social engagement which bested virtually any other live sports property during the period, solid numbers in its time slots on ESPN, quality attendance numbers and the attention of a global media audience. During the time period of the build up and relaunch of SlamBall, no other active professional sports league, whether a startup or established league, came close in engagement or growth across Twitter and Instagram, even during a MUCH shorter run and season than the others.

SlamBall’s return last May became official when a new Series A round of funding of $11 million was announced. Led by IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital, both of which are co-owners of the Miami Marlins, among other investments. Others include: David Blitzer and David Adelman, both of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment; Fanatics founder Michael Rubin; VC investor Gary Vaynerchuk; NBA player Blake Griffin; Sacramento Kings investor Kevin Nagle; Lloyd Danzig of Sharp Alpha; Legends Growth Enterprises; Red Games CEO Brian Lovell; attorney Jesse Sharf, Accelerate Sports; and VC investor Eric Manlunas.

Gambling A Part of Impressive Metrics For This Summer’s SlamBall League: Series 6 in Las Vegas

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics co-founded by Mason Gordon and Mike Tollin, today unveiled its comprehensive look at data for the recently completed season, and announced its first official plans for what lies ahead for the property.

The numbers included massive social engagement which bested virtually any other live sports property during the period, solid numbers in its time slots on ESPN, quality attendance numbers and the attention of a global media audience, all of which is detailed below.

“We set out this relaunch season with very lofty goals, and in almost every aspect we exceeded our marks,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder. “In addition to all the positive numbers in broadcast and the digital/social space came a wide number of parties, cities and event partners eagerly interested in what our athletes and coaches were delivering on and off the court, which has led us to re-think our event footprint even sooner than next summer. While we are encouraged, we are working through many details that will be announced soon. One thing is for sure, we have set out to be the UFC for team sports, and I know we are well on our way to getting there now.”

Some key metrics:

Digital/social:

During the time period of the build up and relaunch of SlamBall, no other active professional sports league, whether a start up or established league, came close in engagement or growth across Twitter and Instagram, even during a MUCH shorter run and season than the others.

-Close to 100 SlamBall original posts exceeded 100,000 views across social platforms during the six week run, amongst the most for any sports property during the period.

-Other major media platforms including ESPN, Barstool Sports, Bleacher Report, Overtime, FanDuel, The Score, Jomboy Media, FOS, Ballislife, Complex and more organically shared SlamBall content over 100 times across platforms, totaling over 10M additional views.

– SlamBall’s engagement far surpassed the competition of other major sports leagues during the lead up and run of the season, with engagement rates of over 6% vs the competition average of 1.62%. The only league that came semi-close was the Premier Lacrosse League at 2.7%.

– Twitter was much of the same story with an engagement rate of .464%, more than 4x the average of .111% and beating the second league, Professional Pickleball League (.140%) by a very healthy margin.

– SlamBall also saw TREMENDOUS growth vs the competition, growing 48.5% on Instagram (competition average of 18.4%) and still ahead of MLS (44.6%) during a time period in which Lionel Messi joined the league.

– This was true on Twitter as well, where SlamBall grew 46.9% vs a 16.1% competition average, and the second highest being PFL at 31.8%.

Broadcast:

SlamBall was able to secure almost 50 hours of live programming on the ESPN networks, one of the most comprehensive partnerships for a property coming back into the marketplace after a long dormant period. SlamBall’s live late night viewership window on ESPN and ESPN2 scored with audiences 18-45 across the country, delivering with the key demo brands crave. SlamBall’s average of 105,000 was on par with other live broadcasts in the time slot.

-SlamBall’s launch led to immediate international interest as well, with games being shown live through the ESPN partnership in Latin America (on DTC on Star+); in the Caribbean (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated ESPN App), and in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated Watch ESPN). Additionally, SlamBall China launched its broadcast on Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat Videos, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo, with over 25 million views in the first few days.

-Additionally, SlamBall’s decision to use former athletes like Nate Robinson and Marshawn Lynch in its broadcasts alongside ESPN personality John Schriffen led to millions of additional digital views, making it one of the most talked about broadcasts not just of the summer, but of the year.

Gambling:

In its first few weeks SlamBall entered into a partnership with US Integrity which led to live gambling on games after just two weeks of play, thanks to its partnership with Circa Sports. The almost unheard-of quick turnaround for launch live money gaming is a testament to the intense and vocal interest of a young audience, and SlamBall’s ability to build the sport’s relaunch with gaming applications top of mind.

Media:

SlamBall’s earned media coverage impressions for the six weeks were in the multi millions, with consistent coverage not just from the largest media platforms, but from some of the most influential and engaged social media influencers and athletes as well. SlamBall captured the attention of everyone from Snoop Dogg, to athletes (former and current) ranging from Pat McAfee, Jalen Brunson, Rex Chapman and Alex Caruso to Patrick Mahomes, Dez Bryant, Shawne Merriman and DeAndre Jordan, all of whom were engaged viewers for games on multiple nights, with posts they shared across social media. Traditional media ranging from CBS News to CNN to GQ to SI.com and USA Today all took note and shared the growing story of SlamBall as a property. SlamBall also resonated by building the stories of its amazing athletes and leadership, with features ranging from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Indianapolis Star to the New York Post.

-SlamBall’s weekly highlights service also delivered in excess of 1.5 million views, with highlights being shared by platforms such as the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News and the L.A. Times among many others.

Brand Partners:

In addition to Circa, SlamBall secured a growing number of brand partners as the season built momentum and interest and engagement grew. They included Old Trapper as a Founding Partner, and Launch Hydrate, The PBR, Hakkasan, Betr, SunnyD vodka seltzer, MaxAir, and Hertz as supporting partners. A number of additional partnerships are in discussions to be announced in the coming weeks.

Website:

SlamBall’s website traffic exceeded expectations with over 400,000 visitors during the period. Users again were largely in the 19-30 demo and came from as many as 30 different countries.

In May, SamBall’s return became official when a new Series A round of funding of $11 million was announced. Led by IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital, both of which are co-owners of the Miami Marlins, among other investments. Others include: David Blitzer and David Adelman, both of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment; Fanatics founder Michael Rubin; VC investor Gary Vaynerchuk; NBA player Blake Griffin; Sacramento Kings investor Kevin Nagle; Lloyd Danzig of Sharp Alpha; Legends Growth Enterprises; Red Games CEO Brian Lovell; attorney Jesse Sharf, Accelerate Sports; and VC investor Eric Manlunas.

Attendance

This was the first time in the history of the sport that larger scale fan attendance factored into the SlamBall experience. Cox Pavilion was scaled for 2,500 seats for each of the multiple night sessions throughout the six week season. The league reached capacity six times during the run, and averaged over 80% for the season, exceeding expectations by over 15%. Fans were in attendance from over 20 states and countries as far away as China, Germany, Denmark, Canada and the UK.

Series 6:

The Mob finished a perfect 18-0 to win SlamBall’s return championship on Thursday night, August 24 in front of the second straight sold-out crowd of 2,500 at Las Vegas’ Cox Pavilion, downing the Lava, 49-36. Darius Clark (Blue Springs, MO) led the Mob’s offensive onslaught, earning SlamBall Playoffs Most Valuable Player honors with 45 total points in the two playoff wins.

Mob stopper and team captain Gage Smith (Elizabeth, CO) was named SlamBall League: Series 6 Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. The Wrath’s Ty McGee (Littleton, CO) earned Offensive Player of the Year honors and Mob gunner Cam Hollins (Avon, IN) was selected 5th Man of the Year, while the Mob’s Brendan Kirsch (Indianapolis, IN) was tabbed Coach of the Year.

Joining Smith and McGee on the All-SlamBall First Team were Mob gunner Darius Clark (Blue Springs, MO) and Slashers handler Tony Crosby II (Long Beach, CA). The All-SlamBall Second Team features Gryphons’ gunners KyShawn Jones (Danville, VA) and Justin Holmes (Roseville, CA), Mob handler Cameron Horton (Jacksonville, AL) and Buzzsaw stopper Tyquan Scott (Long Beach, NY).

SlamBall League: Series 6 Adds International Broadcast Distribution

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced its first set of International Broadcast Distribution partners for the remainder of the season, bringing the re-start of the sport to a growing global audience in the millions much faster than anticipated and outpacing the interest of virtually all growing sports in North America.

“The interest and growth of a fan base is expanding much quicker than we had ever expected in just three weeks, and is reflective of the massive social engagement we are seeing around the world,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-founder. “In addition, our partners with SlamBall China are seeing very rapid growth and adoption on platforms there, all of which is reflective of the action and athleticism we are seeing improve with each passing week as we head towards next week’s championship.”

SlamBall is now being distributed via ESPN in Latin America (on DTC on Star+); in the Caribbean (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated ESPN App), and in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated Watch ESPN). Additionally, SlamBall China has officially launched its broadcast on Douyin, and has already seen several million views in the first few days..

SlamBall is back Thursday, Aug. 10 at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the United States, while the SlamBall playoffs begin on Tuesday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. ET/11:00 p.m. ET, live on ESPN2. The semifinals and championship game take place on Thursday, August 17, at 8:00 p.m. ET/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

View Top 10 Plays From This Past Weekend Here: https://vimeo.com/852238226/467a9699eb?share=copy

View Standings Here: https://slamballleague.com/standings/

View Stats Here: https://slamballleague.com/slamball-stats/

SlamBall is back Thursday, Aug. 10 at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

SlamBall’s two-year ESPN partnership 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.

Circa Sports Named Founding Partner Of SlamBall League

SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and acrobatics, today announced that Circa Sports has been named a Founding Partner of SlamBall League. Play resumes this Thursday to Sunday from Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT on ESPN+.

“We have always believed that SlamBall was a tailor made property for sports gambling, and Circa Sports coming on at this early juncture further validates and expedites this critical part of our business plan,” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-creator and CEO. “Our expansive partnership with Derek Stevens and the team will be amplified this upcoming weekend when live gambling on SlamBall will take place for the first time.”

“We are excited to be one of the founding partners of SlamBall,” Derek Stevens, CEO of Circa Resort & Casino. “We’re happy to have them included in the continuously growing sports scene in Las Vegas and we look forward to seeing their growth. We also can’t wait to put up lines for the games on Thursday and seeing the action that comes in!”

Circa Sports will provide legal gambling lines for all remaining sessions. They join Old Trapper as SlamBall’s first two Founding Partners

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 Signs Comprehensive Partnership with U.S. Integrity

Today U.S. Integrity (“USI”) announced a comprehensive partnership with SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampoline, as they aim to protect the integrity of its sport and future events. The 2023 SlamBall League: Series 6, will begin July 21 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas and runs for seven weeks, live on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+.

U.S. Integrity will provide integrity monitoring services via its proprietary dashboard to SlamBall that will encompass data intelligence and fraud prevention. U.S. Integrity conducts analyses across dozens of data sets to proactively identify irregular contest-level & wagering patterns.

“We fully endorse this partnership as the growth of SlamBall and its appeal to fans will reach new heights heading into the 2023 season. The expectation is as our sport evolves, so will sports betting markets. The timing is right to put the correct process in place with a major focus being integrity protection and fraud prevention.” said Mason Gordon, SlamBall co-creator and CEO.

“U.S. Integrity is proud to partner with SlamBall as wagering interest on their events continues to grow across the regulated sports wagering market,” says Matthew Holt, U.S. Integrity’s CEO & co-founder. He continued, “U.S. Integrity’s mission is to provide conflict-free, best in class insights & compliance solutions to our clients. We’re thrilled to collaborate with the outstanding team at SlamBall. There’s a commitment to integrity from all our partners, and this partnership with SlamBall validates that standard.”

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.

Old Trapper Named Founding Partner of SlamBall League: Series 6

Old Trapper announced that they are the Founding Partner and Official Beef Jerky of SlamBall League: Series 6. Throughout the 2023 season, Old Trapper product, messaging, and signage will be incorporated on broadcast, digital, and social media platforms of SlamBall on ESPN.

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.

As Founding Partner of SlamBall League: Series 6, Old Trapper will be highlighted as the Official Beef Jerky in broadcast deliverables. This includes TV visible signs during the 96 games at Cox Pavilion and 62 hours on the ESPN ecosystem. Old Trapper will also be featured on the starting lineups of each game. Old Trapper signage will appear on five minutes of LED rotations per game and on four 30-second spots per broadcast. Old Trapper will have product placement on the SlamBall broadcast desk and in post-game player interviews. For digital and social integrations, Old Trapper’s logo will be permanently integrated into SlamBallLeague.com. The company will also serve as the Presenting Sponsor of Dunk of the Summer, which will be featured on Instagram and voted on by fans.

“We are very excited to announce the start of our partnership with SlamBall,” said Robert Leary, Chief Marketing Officer of Old Trapper. “As Founding Partner and Official Beef Jerky of the 2023 season, we look forward to fueling the fire of champions with bold flavors and protein-packed goodness. Just as SlamBall combines high-flying athleticism with raw power, Old Trapper Beef Jerky complements the grit and determination of these athletes, delivering hearty sustenance to fuel their relentless pursuit of greatness.”

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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