What Adelaide 36ers does

Adelaide 36ers is a professional men's basketball franchise competing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), one of 10 teams across Australia and New Zealand. Founded in 1982 as the Adelaide City Eagles and operating under the legal entity Adelaide Basketball Club Pty. Ltd., the club is privately owned by Grant Kelley (Owner & Chairman) with Nic Barbato as CEO. The club fields a roster at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Brett Maher Court) and trains at the State Basketball Centre in Wayville. It has won four NBL championships (1986, 1998, 1999, 2002) and reached the NBL Championship Series in the 2025-26 season under a leadership group that includes GM of Basketball Operations Matt Weston and Head Coach Trevor Gleeson (appointed NBL27 on a three-year contract).

The club's product offering is a portfolio of live sports entertainment, subscription memberships, merchandise, and community programs. Core commercial revenue streams include ticket sales distributed through Ticketek, recurring season memberships, sponsorship (notably Major Partners SKG Services, Nippy's through 2029, and Revo Fitness), and merchandise e-commerce. The club also runs a 36ers mobile application for fan engagement and operates a broad community ecosystem including the Shooting Hoops Foundation, High Performance Schools Program, NBA Math Hoops (with Learn Fresh), and GAMETIME by Kmart school visits. A flagship new product is the Chinese Basketball Academy, an international education and basketball development program launching Term 1 2027 in partnership with the South Australian Department for Education and Woodville High School, with EIC Education as recruitment channel partner.

The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led. Game-day attendance at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre — supported by broadcast deals with ESPN and Channel 9 — is the primary fan acquisition surface, while school visits, holiday clinics, and corporate networking through the Sixers In Business program build long-cycle relationships with families, schools, and corporate partners in South Australia. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; ticket inventory is sold through Ticketek and memberships through a dedicated portal. The club does not disclose revenue, has no external funding rounds or parent company, and is not publicly listed.

Name

Adelaide 36ers

Legal name

Adelaide Basketball Club Pty. Ltd.

Website

https://adelaide36ers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adelaide 36ers is a privately held professional men's basketball franchise in Australia's NBL, founded 1982, owned by Grant Kelley, that generates revenue from ticketing, memberships, sponsorships, and merchandise while running school and community programs including the new Chinese Basketball Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance & Incentive-Based Endorsements (Bonuses, Royalties, Affiliate/CPA Deals) (MPAKALAI), Basketball Footwear & Apparel Retail (CRAMACAB)

Keywords

• Professional basketball team
• Live sports entertainment
• Season memberships
• Team merchandise sales
• Corporate sponsorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hindmarsh

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-game tickets sold through Ticketek platform for home games at Adelaide Entertainment Centre
2. Membership Revenue: Season membership packages providing priority access, discounts, and exclusive benefits for fans
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Major partnerships with companies like SKG Services (front of away jersey), Nippy's, Revo Fitness providing sponsorship revenue in exchange for branding exposure, jersey placement, and corporate hospitality
4. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling jerseys, apparel, and fan gear

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adelaide 36ers is a professional men's basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). It delivers live home game entertainment at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (Brett Maher Court), season membership packages, ticket sales through Ticketek, branded merchandise via an online store, and corporate sponsorship programs. The club also operates community and educational initiatives including the Chinese Basketball Academy, NBA Math Hoops, GAMETIME by Kmart, and the Shooting Hoops Foundation.

Product overview

The Adelaide 36ers operate as a professional NBL basketball team offering a portfolio of products and services centered on elite basketball entertainment and community engagement. Core offerings include live game attendance, merchandise, and membership programs. The club extends its brand through various community and educational programs including the Chinese Basketball Academy (an international education and basketball development program for Chinese students), the NBA Math Hoops Program (STEM education initiative), GAMETIME by Kmart (school visit program), and the Shooting Hoops Foundation (grassroots community program). The organization also maintains a mobile application for fan engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chinese Basketball Academy International education and basketball development program combining Australian education at Woodville High School with elite basketball coaching, targeting talented young athletes from mainland China aged 15-16.
• NBA Math Hoops Program Educational STEM program combining basketball, mathematics, statistics and teamwork to improve student engagement in STEM learning, delivered in schools across South Australia and Northern Territory.
• GAMETIME by Kmart School visit program that brings Adelaide 36ers players to schools across South Australia through basketball clinics and gameplay experiences.
• Shooting Hoops Foundation Community initiative focused on social inclusion and grassroots basketball development, offered to schools and community groups in South Australia.
• 36ers App Official mobile application for Adelaide 36ers fans providing access to team news, schedules, and exclusive content.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36ers reached Championship Series in 2025-26 season (NBL26)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• SKG ServicesmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 July 2025Renewed for two years as Major Partner. Featured on front of away jersey and selected club apparel. SKG Services is one of Australia's leading providers of commercial cleaning, security, maintenance and construction services with over 3500 employees nationally.
• Nippy'smajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 June 2025Extended partnership through 2029, continuing one of the longest-standing partnerships in Australian basketball (13 years total). Nippy's is a proudly South Australian owned, third-generation family-run manufacturer of real fruit juices and flavoured milk drinks, celebrating 50 years in business.
• Learn FreshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2025Partnership to deliver NBA Math Hoops program to schools across South Australia and Northern Territory. Adelaide 36ers is the first professional basketball organization outside the US to partner with Learn Fresh. The program combines basketball with mathematics education and has reached over 1.7 million students globally.
• South Australian Department for Education / Woodville High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025Partnership for Chinese Basketball Academy - an international education and basketball development program for Year 10 students from mainland China, commencing Term 1, 2027. Woodville High School serves as the host school.
• Revo FitnessmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerElevated Major Partnership status. Revo Fitness is a major partner of the club.
• KmartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGAMETIME by Kmart program - school visit initiative bringing basketball clinics and player interactions to schools across South Australia. Celebrates social inclusion, community and culture.
• Make A Difference Foundation (MADF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide dedicated Sensory Space at Adelaide Entertainment Centre for home games, catering to fans with sensory sensitivities and hidden disabilities.
• EIC EducationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducation visa partner for Chinese Basketball Academy, handling student recruitment and enrollment for the international program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Zealand Breakers: New Zealand Breakers are an NBL franchise with similar mid-market scale and a comparable operating model (ticketing, memberships, sponsorship) that directly competes against Adelaide.
• Brisbane Bullets: Brisbane Bullets compete in the NBL with similar regional-market dynamics to Adelaide and share comparable sponsorship, ticketing, and membership revenue models.
• Perth Wildcats: Perth Wildcats are the NBL's most decorated franchise and directly compete with Adelaide 36ers for championships, corporate sponsorships in Western Australia, and elite player talent within the same Australian basketball league.
• Sydney Kings: Sydney Kings are the NBL team that defeated Adelaide 36ers in the NBL26 Championship Series; they compete head-to-head on the court and vie with Adelaide for national sponsorships and broadcast exposure.
• South East Melbourne Phoenix: South East Melbourne Phoenix are an NBL franchise operating in a competitive metropolitan market with a similar product mix of game-day entertainment, memberships, and sponsorship packages.
• Cairns Taipans: Cairns Taipans are a regional-market NBL peer with comparable membership and sponsorship structures and overlapping community-development focus in North Queensland.
• Tasmania JackJumpers: Tasmania JackJumpers are a newer NBL entrant that shares Adelaide's regional-market characteristics and competes for fans, sponsorships, and broadcast attention within the same league.
• Illawarra Hawks: Illawarra Hawks are an NBL franchise with similar scale, regional-market positioning, and a comparable operating model across ticketing, memberships, and partnerships.
• Melbourne United: Melbourne United is another NBL franchise operating in a major Australian market with a comparable mix of ticketing, memberships, sponsorship, and community programs, making them a direct structural peer.

Broad incumbents

• NBA franchise: San Antonio Spurs: San Antonio Spurs are referenced as a former employer of GM Matt Weston and operate a far larger version of the same professional basketball franchise business model (ticketing, memberships, sponsorship, community programs), serving as a structural benchmark rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Adelaide36ers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/36ersTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/Adelaide36ers
• Instagraminstagram.com/adelaide36ers/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adelaide 36ers