NEW YORK (July 19, 2023) – The BIG3, the premier global 3-on-3 basketball league playing “Fireball,” is off to a tremendous start in its sixth season, seeing substantial increases in television viewership and live attendance.
The league’s games airing on CBS have seen viewership grow substantially compared to last season and are rapidly increasing week to week.
Week 1 06/25 483,000
Week 2 07/01 501,000
Week 3 07/09 525,000
Week 4 07/15 600,000
Week 4 in Memphis earned a 0.31 rating and averaged 600,000 viewers during the league’s 3.5-hour broadcast window from 3:00pm to 6:30pm ET. This represents a 46% increase from 412,000 viewers and a 0.26 rating in the same weekend time slot last year. An impressive hold for a three-and-a-half-hour window, BIG3 topped tough competition in the time slot, including the NBA summer league on ESPN (309,000 viewers) and MLB on FS1 (369,000) and nearly matched NASCAR on USA (609,000) in overlapping broadcast windows. The league finished just shy of Wimbledon’s Women’s finals on ABC (762,000).
“We’re thrilled to see this continued interest and growth as we start season six,” said BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube. “It’s a testament to the highly competitive and entertaining product we put on the court each week. This season is the best yet.”
Attendance rebounded after two seasons impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. The first three weeks in Chicago, Dallas, and New York drew close to 30,000 fans in total, with energetic crowds averaging over 9,000 per event.
“Our fans have been eager to get back to experiencing the BIG3 in person,” said league co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz. “Their energy and excitement have been palpable in each city so far.”
This season BIG3 pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of Rap and Hip Hop. The first four weeks have included musical performances by Hip Hop artists Ja Rule, KRS-One, M.O.P, NLE Choppa, Big Boogie, Twista, Dorrough, Mike Jones, Scar Lip, and of course, Ice Cube. Monster Energy athletes have also been featured, along with dancers, cheerleaders, dunkers, and many others.
The league features many of the most popular and skilled 3-on-3 players worldwide, including Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, and Michael Beasley, coached by Hall of Fame legends such as Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Rick Barry, Lisa Leslie, Nancy Lieberman, Gary Payton, and more. It combines highly competitive basketball with a fun, fan-friendly environment.
The BIG3 continues this Sunday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, followed by stops in Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, and Washington D.C. for the playoffs and capping it off at the famous O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom, for the championship and all-star games.
With its early momentum, the BIG3 looks to build on its position as a one-of-a-kind, world-class basketball league connecting with live crowds and TV audiences.
BIG3 games can be found on CBS, Paramount+, and TV.BIG3.COM
