The Basketball Tournament has become a fixture of the NBA offseason. TBT features some of the best basketball players in the country forming teams to compete for the prize money. Now in its third year of existence, TBT is being featured on the ESPN family of networks and its prize money has elevated to $2 million. The tournament is a unique mix of basketball with fan- and social media-driven aspects.
But TBT is not done growing and this time it’s going international. In a press release, The Basketball Tournament announced its partnership with Yao Ming and Starz Sports International. The partnership will take the TBT concept to China where there is an ever-growing basketball market. The winner of the Chinese version of the tournament will have the opportunity to compete in TBT in the United States.
The two parties had the following statement:
“TBT is a powerful international platform that leverages the popularity of social media to create unbelievable interaction between fans and their teams. The open tournament format elevates grassroots basketball to a higher level,” said 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee Yao Ming.
“Yao Ming and Starz Sports really are perfect partners to introduce TBT to the Chinese people,” said Jon Mugar, TBT founder and CEO. “Our vision of TBT has always been a global event that brings together cultures, styles, and people through social media and the international game of basketball. Ultimately we will have millions of people around the world, both players and fans, actually participating in an annual sports / media event. We are incredibly excited to work with Yao and his team on realizing this vision.”
This year’s TBT Final will be played on Tuesday at 7:00 PM and shown live on ESPN.
