The hits just keep on coming for Ice Cube and the BIG3 professional 3 on 3 basketball league. Today the league announced it has secured a broadcast partner for its inaugural season, and it will be FOX Sports.
League’s founder Ice Cube and president & commissioner Roger Mason Jr. appeared on FS1’s UNDISPUTED with Skip and Shannon to share the good news. We have written about the tremendous wins by Cube and the BIG3 here on BSO and this is another one.
The eight team league kicks off on June 25th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and Cube could not be more excited about securing a broadcast deal, saying:
This is a big day for the BIG3. We are very excited … we’ve been waiting for this day. It’s extremely exciting to be here with FOX Sports. They definitely see the picture and see the great things we are trying to do.
For their part, FOX Sports is rolling the dice by agreeing to broadcast the startup league. Charlie Dixon, FOX Sports EVP of Content/Original Programming knows that new and original programming content is what drives television today, and he has high hopes for the league, saying:
This is an ideal fit for FS1. It will be appointment viewing for any basketball fan, showcasing star-power, fiery personalities and classic matchups on the court.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but this is most likely a wait and see type of deal. FOX Sports agreeing to broadcast year one, with contingencies in place to continue broadcasting if FOX Sports and the league see success.
The BIG3 becoming appointment viewing will be key to a larger more expanded partnership. Currently boasting a lot of big name players, if the league can somehow convince another superstar former player or two to join it would go a long way.