NBA Eyes Franchise Model as Basketball Africa League Enters Next Era
LONDON, Aug 26 — The National Basketball Association's push to franchise the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is emerging as the league's defining next step, according to a CNN report published July 29 examining "the NBA's new frontier" in Africa's basketball boom.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 1 min read
LONDON, Aug 26 — The National Basketball Association's push to franchise the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is emerging as the league's defining next step, according to a CNN report published July 29 examining "the NBA's new frontier" in Africa's basketball boom.
The franchising model would move the BAL — jointly founded by the NBA and FIBA in 2019 — toward permanent, saleable club identities rather than qualification-based slots. NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum outlined the league's "next transition" in June comments reported by Andscape, following earlier reporting by Sports Business Journal and Front Office Sports that the NBA planned to sell BAL franchises.
On-court, the 2026 season closed with Rwanda's RSSB Tigers crowned BAL champions on May 31, per NBA.com. No competitive matches are currently scheduled; the league's sixth season concluded in June.
The NBA has not publicly confirmed franchise pricing or buyer criteria, and no franchise sales have been announced. Details of the CNN report's sourcing on individual deals remain Unverified by this desk.
**Sources:** Google News, sourcereporters.com
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