Project B: A Global Basketball League Designed to Compete on Players’ Terms

Project BDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is an emerging professional basketball league that aims to challenge established competitions by reshaping how elite players are paid, scheduled and promoted. Its first competition is set to begin in November 2026.

The league was founded in 2023 by Grady BurnettDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a former executive at Meta and Google, and Geoff PrenticeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a co-founder of Skype. From the outset, the founders have framed Project B as a global sports and media platform rather than a conventional, city-based league.

Bloomberg reported in early 2025 that the group initially set out to raise as much as $5 billion to fund a global rollout spanning both women’s and men’s competitions, underscoring the scale of its ambitions.

Project B has drawn backing from a mix of prominent athletes and financial investors. Supporters include GV Partner David KraneDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, professional athletes  Candace ParkerDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → , Sloane StephensDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → , Novak DjokovicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Steve YoungDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → , and venture capital firms such as Mangrove Capital, Quiet Capital and Sequence EquityDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

A central pillar of Project B’s strategy is its approach to attracting players. The league has offered multimillion-dollar salaries and equity participation, positioning athletes not just as employees but as stakeholders in the league’s long-term success.

This model is intended to draw top talent from the WNBADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, overseas leagues and, in time, men’s professional basketball, by offering financial upside and greater autonomy than traditional contracts.

Project B also differentiates itself through its competition format. Instead of long domestic seasons tied to home cities, it plans a series of short, high-intensity tournaments staged across multiple continents.

The global circuit is designed to reduce travel demands, concentrate fan attention and open new commercial markets, while directly competing with existing leagues for player time and audience interest.

Sources:
CNBC
USA Today
The Athletic
Bloomberg

Image source:
Ballertube

J.V.