Asian University Basketball League

What Asian University Basketball League does

AUBL is a Hong Kong-headquartered, privately held pan-regional collegiate basketball league founded in 2025 and sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF). It operates a 12-team inaugural tournament (August 2025) across Greater China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Australia, with a planned expansion to 16 teams and a full home-and-away 2026-27 season. The league is anchored by federation-level MoUs with the Korean University Basketball Federation (KUBF), Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF), and Mongolian College Basketball Association (MCBA), and is led by CEO Jay Li (former CBA executive under Yao Ming), COO Natalie Lee, General Counsel Isaac Low, and SVP Greg Stolt (former NBA), with backing from three current or former NBA team owners and family-office investors including Blue Pool Capital (Joe Tsai), Avenue Capital Group (Marc Lasry), HSG, Nan Fung Group, Bolt Ventures, and Yao Ming.

The core product is a live collegiate basketball competition delivered through a tech-enabled game-day experience built around a 400 sqm LED court system with 270-degree viewing, supported by broadcast and streaming distribution (LinkedTV, Tencent, and other regional outlets) and a 2,000+ media-outlet press footprint. Adjacent product lines include the SISUP cheerleading league and the AUBL Hoop Scholars youth development program, which extend the property beyond the men's and women's competitions and create a longer-term athlete and fan pipeline.

The business model is a multi-revenue-stream sports property: sponsorship across tiered partner categories (presenting partner Quark/Alibaba AI, Master Kong, Under Armour, JPMorgan, Zeekr and others), media rights, ticketing (29,000+ attendees at the inaugural event), and merchandise. Engagement metrics from year one (65M+ views, 1.55B+ impressions) underpin the sponsorship pitch, while the Series A close in April 2026 (undisclosed amount) provides capital to fund the transition to a full-season operating model in 2026-27.

Name

Asian University Basketball League

Legal name

Asian University Basketball League Limited

Website

https://aubl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AUBL is a Hong Kong-headquartered, AUSF-sanctioned pan-regional collegiate basketball league running 12 (expanding to 16) university teams across six or more Asia-Pacific markets, monetising through tiered sponsorships, media rights, ticketing, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Sports League & Event Operations

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD), Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA)

Keywords

• Collegiate basketball league
• Pan-regional sports competition
• University athletics events
• Sports media rights
• Youth basketball development

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: Presenting partners (Quark, Master Kong), official athletic products partner (Under Armour), designated industry partners (JPMorgan, Zeekr, AvantSports, Care Alliance, Jinling Sports), and charity partners (Joe Tsai Charity Foundation, Yao Foundation).
2. Media Rights: Broadcast partnerships with Youku, Migu, RTHK, NBA App, YouTube, Spot TV, Video Land, CS Park, and PSN for live streaming and content distribution.
3. Ticket Sales: Official ticketing through Damai.cn for in-person attendance at tournaments and home-and-away games.
4. Official Merchandise: Partnership with Under Armour for official performance outfitter and game ball, with merchandise drops and team apparel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) is a pan-regional collegiate basketball competition sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), featuring elite university basketball teams from Greater China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Philippines, and Australia. The league operates a flagship tournament and is transitioning to a full home-and-away season format, complemented by a youth development program (Hoop Scholars) and an official cheerleading squad (SISUP).

Product overview

The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) operates as a multi-product sports platform anchored by its flagship AUBL Tournament — a pan-regional collegiate basketball competition sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), featuring the 12 best university basketball programs in Asia. The platform also encompasses AUBL Hoop Scholars, a youth development program launched in late 2025; SISUP, the official AUBL cheerleading squad; and a digital content suite including video documentaries and match highlights. The league is transitioning from a standalone tournament format to a full home-and-away season model in 2026-27.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SISUP: Official cheerleading squad of the Asian University Basketball League that brings Asian pop culture to the world of cheerleading. SISUP aims to energize every game, enrich the courtside experience, and explore endless possibilities for college basketball.
• AUBL Hoop Scholars

Products and services

• AUBL Tournament The flagship pan-regional collegiate basketball competition featuring the best university teams from Greater China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Philippines, and Australia. Held in tournament format and transitioning to a full home-and-away season in November 2026.
• AUBL Hoop Scholars Youth basketball development initiative for student-athletes with strong academic commitments. The program connects aspiring young players with elite coaches and high-level training environments, emphasizing discipline, adaptability, and long-term growth.
• SISUP Cheerleading Squad The official cheerleading squad of the Asian University Basketball League. SISUP energizes games, enriches the courtside experience, and brings Asian pop culture to college basketball.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65 million+ live streaming views; 1.55 billion+ online impressions; 29,000+ in-person attendees; 2000+ global media coverage in inaugural 2025 tournament
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Mongolia College Basketball Association (MCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Partnership to expand into Mongolia market, launch Hoop Scholars championship clinic tour in Ulaanbaatar, and establish foundation for AUBL regular games in Mongolia.
• Indonesia Campus LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2026Partnership with Indonesia's top college basketball league for youth development and AUBL 2026-27 expansion.
• Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Formal cooperation agreement for elevating university basketball in Japan and Asia, promoting grassroots youth development, and establishing foundation for AUBL regular season games in Japan.
• Korea University Basketball Federation (KUBF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026MOU signed for collaboration on university basketball development, youth sports exchange, and planning AUBL home-and-away games in Korea.
• Under ArmourflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 July 2025Official Performance Outfitter and Game Ball Partner. Provided official uniforms, apparel, and game balls. Also facilitated Stephen Curry exhibition event with AUBL athletes.
• QuarkflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Partner. Quark is one of Asia's leading AI assistant tools developed by Alibaba.
• Master Kong (康师傅)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Partner. One of China's largest food and beverage enterprises.
• JPMorgan (摩根大通)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated Industry Partner. Hosted VIP luncheon with Joe Tsai and Yao Ming fireside dialogue; provided event sponsorship and platform for investor relations.
• Zeekr (极氪)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated Industry Partner. Geely-owned NYSE-listed automotive company participating as sponsor.
• AvantSportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated Industry Partner for sports equipment/seating.
• Care AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated Industry Partner.
• Jinling SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated Industry Partner.
• Damai.cn (大麦网)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Ticketing Platform. Primary ticketing partner for AUBL events.
• YoukucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner. Major Chinese video streaming platform for live broadcasts.
• MigucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner. Chinese digital entertainment platform for content distribution.
• RTHKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner. Hong Kong public broadcaster for regional TV coverage.
• NBA AppcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner. Official NBA application for basketball content distribution.
• YouTubeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner. Global platform for video content and live streaming.
• Joe Tsai Charity FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity Partner. Foundation of AUBL investor Joe Tsai supporting community and youth development.
• Yao FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity Partner. Yao Ming's foundation supporting youth basketball development.
• Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sanctioning body for AUBL. Provides legitimacy and connections to university sports networks across Asia.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association): The preeminent US collegiate sports organization and the model AUBL explicitly references. NCAA demonstrates the scale and value capture possible in college sports IP, but operates only domestically and on a much larger scale.
• FIBA (International Basketball Federation): Global governing body for basketball that sanctions competitions including the Basketball World Cup and Asian competitions. ABL operates within FIBA's broader ecosystem and competes for the same Asian basketball attention and sponsorship wallet.

Direct peers

• China University Basketball Association (CUBAL): China's primary domestic collegiate basketball league covering Tsinghua, Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong and others. AUBL's core team pool overlaps directly with CUBAL's competing institutions, making it both a feeder and rival for talent and attention.
• East Asia Super League (EASL): Pan-regional professional basketball league covering Greater China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines. The closest direct competitor to AUBL in the cross-border Asian basketball league space, operating a similar multi-country tournament/season format with shared media and sponsorship channels.
• Philippine UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines): The Philippines' premier collegiate sports league featuring University of the Philippines and other schools competing in basketball. AUBL's planned Philippine entry means UAAP is the dominant incumbent collegiate basketball brand it must partner with or disintermediate.

Regional players

• ASEAN Basketball League (ABL): Historically a Southeast Asia-focused club basketball competition that overlaps geographically with AUBL's expansion targets (Philippines, Indonesia, Australia) and competes for the same regional sponsors and broadcast slots.
• B.League (Japan): Japan's top professional basketball league. Competes with AUBL for Japanese basketball fans, broadcaster inventory and sponsorship dollars, while AUBL has signed a cooperation agreement with JUBF to integrate Japanese universities into its season.
• Korean U-League: South Korea's national collegiate basketball competition featuring Yonsei, Korea University, Konkuk and others. It is the primary domestic competitor for Korean university basketball mindshare, and AUBL has signed an MOU with KUBF to coordinate participation.
• Korean Basketball League (KBL): South Korea's premier professional basketball league. A competitor for Korean basketball sponsorships, broadcast inventory and arena nights; AUBL's partnership with KUBF positions the collegiate product as a complementary but competitive feeder system.

Emerging players

• The Basketball Tournament (TBT): US-based single-elimination summer basketball tournament featuring alumni and pro players with a $1M winner-take-all prize. Functionally comparable as a high-profile basketball event/tournament brand with star-power monetization — A relevant format comparable to AUBL's tournament roots.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aubl_bball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@aubl_bball
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Asian-University-Basketball-League-AUBL/61565396561994
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/asian-university-basketball-league
• Instagraminstagram.com/aubl_basketball
• TikToktiktok.com/@aubl_basketball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

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 Asian University Basketball League