The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) starts its 58th season on Wednesday. There is a new playoff mode, a new media partner and the hope of a World Cup boom. Everything you need to know about it.
What does the schedule look like?
Surprise champion ratiopharm Ulm and the Niners Chemnitz will play the opening game on Wednesday (September 27th, 2023). It starts at 8 p.m. The season will be interrupted once due to an international match window: On February 22nd and 25th, world champions Germany will play in the European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro and Bulgaria. The first round ends on January 21st, the main round on May 12th. The Playoffs should start on May 17th and be over by June 17th at the latest.
What does the mode look like?
There is an innovation: like the North American professional league before N.B.A or the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) introduces the BBL Play intournament. After the 34 main round game days, there are only six direct tickets left for the quarter-finals; the teams in places seven to ten will fight in three playoff games for the two open playoff places. Then it goes into mode “Best of five” further.
Who are the favorites?
The big favorite is Bayern Munich. The cup winners have strengthened well, including the Spaniard Serge Ibaka Toronto Raptors NBA champions 2019. Defending champion Ulm has lost important pillars such as finals MVP Yago dos Santos and Bruno Caboclo, Champions League-Winner and runner-up Telekom Baskets Bonn, the whole team including the coach. Former series champion Alba Berlin has also gone through a major upheaval and is likely to have a difficult time.
Who’s new?
Rasta Vechta is back in the upper house after two years Tigers Tübingen are playing in the BBL again after five years of absence. Brose Bamberg has become the Bamberg Baskets. Monday games are also new; the number of different throw-off times has been reduced. The relegated Fraport are no longer there Skyliners and medi Bayreuth.
What does the league hope to achieve from the World Cup?
The national team of national coach Gordon Herbert unexpectedly won World Cup gold at the World Cup in Asia after eight wins from eight games. It was the greatest success in the history of German basketball. The league itself is now hoping for lasting effects, more attention, more visibility.
For managing director Stefan Holz, the World Cup gold is indeed “not the total game changer”neither will this “Germany from a football nation to a basketball nation”. But the league boss is sure “That there will be a boost for our efforts. We simply feel a high level of interest in the BBL and that will continue for a while.”
How many world champions play in the BBL?
At least four. Andreas Obst, Isaac Bonga and Niels Giffey are on the ball for Bayern from Munich, Johannes Thiemann continues to play for Alba Berlin.
Where can you watch the games?
As the successor to “Magenta-Sport”, “Dyn” is the league’s new TV partner, the contract with the liveStreamingThe service of former DFL boss Christian Seifert runs for six years. “Dyn” shows the 306 main round, all playoff and all cup games live. But there will also be league games Free TV transmitted. “Dyn” has granted a sublicense to the sports rights agency “SportA”, through which ARD, ZDF and the third party programs receive an extensive rights package. “Dyn” costs 12.50 euros per month for an annual subscription, and 14.50 euros for a monthly subscription.
What else is there?
FC Bayern is creating a premiere. At the start against MBC from Weißenfels, the Munich team will play on a glass video sports floor for the first time. Lines and boundaries are displayed via LED. “This is next level, what you can play there on an LED glass floor”says BBL managing director Holz. Animations and graphics can also be displayed on the field.