What SlamBall does

SlamBall is a privately held sports and entertainment company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, that operates a professional team sports league combining elements of basketball, football, hockey, and acrobatics. The league was founded in 2000 by Mason Gordon and Mike Tollin, debuted nationally on Spike TV in 2002-2003, experienced international expansion (including events in China) and a subsequent dormancy period before relaunching in 2022-2023. Core gameplay is played 4-on-4 on a specialized 96' x 64' court featuring patented Olympic-grade Australian springbeds that propel players 10-20 feet in the air, surrounded by 8-foot plexiglass walls, with custom padded hoops and independently-articulated spring floor panels. Games consist of four 5-minute quarters (20 minutes total) of continuous action without commercial breaks, using basketball scoring conventions (3 points for slams/dunks, 2 points for layups and jump shots), with rosters of 7 players per team.

The current league features eight teams (Gryphons, MOB, Ozone, Rumble, Lava, Slashers, Wrath, Buzzsaw) competing in six-week summer seasons at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. Supporting products and services include full-game and highlight video content, the SlamBall Nation podcast, statistical tracking and standings, photo galleries, the Pick'em Play fan prediction game, an athlete tryout portal, and educational content such as the SlamBall Slang glossary and Dunk Directory. Merchandise is sold through an official online shop.

SlamBall's business model rests on four revenue streams: (1) exclusive broadcast rights (ESPN holds exclusive rights for the 2023 and 2024 seasons); (2) sponsorship deals, notably Pabst Blue Ribbon as Official Exclusive Beer Partner for 2024 and 2025 with title sponsorship of the SlamBall Summer Series Dunk Contest; (3) merchandise and collectibles sales; and (4) ancillary partnership revenue (e.g., ProhiBet for sports betting regulatory compliance). The company completed an $11 million Series A funding round in May 2023 led by IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital (co-owners of the Miami Marlins), with participation from David Blitzer, David Adelman, Michael Rubin (Fanatics), Gary Vaynerchuk, Blake Griffin, Kevin Nagle, Lloyd Danzig, Legends Growth Enterprises, Brian Lovell, Jesse Sharf, and Eric Manlunas. Customer segments include sports fans and entertainment seekers, broadcast and media partners, and brand sponsors and advertisers. Go-to-market is event-driven, centered on seasonal live events, extensive social media engagement, and brand partnerships.

Name

SlamBall

Legal name

SlamBall

Website

https://slamballleague.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SlamBall is a Las Vegas-based professional sports league that runs 4-on-4 competitive games combining basketball, football, hockey, and acrobatics on patented spring-equipped courts, serving sports fans, broadcast partners, and brand sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Live Sports Leagues & Tours (MPAGAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Event Promotion & Tournament Operations (MPAKAKAC), Sports Combine, Tryout & Showcase Programs (MPAKAJAM)

Keywords

• Professional sports league
• Live sports entertainment
• Trampoline basketball
• Sports media content
• Athlete recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Rights: ESPN holds exclusive broadcast rights for SlamBall seasons 2023 and 2024, providing revenue through television deal and expanded media exposure.
2. Sponsorship & Beer Partnership: Pabst Blue Ribbon named Official Exclusive Beer Partner for 2024 and 2025 worldwide seasons, including title sponsorship of the SlamBall Summer Series Dunk Contest.
3. Series A Funding: SlamBall raised $11 million in Series A funding led by IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital to support league operations and expansion.
4. Merchandise & Shop: Online shop for official SlamBall merchandise including team apparel and collectibles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SlamBall operates a professional 4-on-4 sports league where athletes compete on a patented court system featuring Olympic-grade trampolines (springbeds) that propel players up to 20 feet in the air, blending basketball, football, hockey, and acrobatics into a single fast-paced 20-minute game format. The league organizes seasonal live events (most recently Series 6 in Las Vegas in 2023), produces game video content, podcasts, and statistical data, and runs an athlete tryout portal for recruitment. Supporting offerings include the Pick'em Play fan prediction game, merchandise sales, and exclusive broadcast distribution through ESPN.

Product overview

SlamBall is a sports and entertainment property that operates a professional live-action sporting league. The core offering is the competitive SlamBall league featuring 4-on-4 games played on a specialized court with Olympic-grade springbeds (trampolines) that propel players up to 20 feet in the air. The sport combines elements of basketball, football, and hockey. Supporting products include game video content (highlights, full games, podcasts), statistical tracking, photo galleries, the Pick'em Play fan prediction game, and an athlete tryout portal for recruitment. Educational content includes the SlamBall Slang glossary and Dunk Directory documenting the sport's unique terminology and maneuvers. The league operates seasonal series (currently through Series 6 in 2023) with 8 professional teams competing in Las Vegas, broadcast on ESPN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SlamBall League Professional 4-on-4 sports league played on a patented court with Olympic-grade springbeds (trampolines), combining elements of basketball, football, and hockey. Games are four 5-minute quarters with continuous action, hockey-style substitutions, and a unique scoring system (3 points for slams/dunks, 2 points for layups/jump shots). Eight teams compete in seasonal series with broadcast coverage on ESPN.
• Pick'em Play Fan prediction game platform allowing users to make game predictions and participate in the SlamBall experience during the league season.
• Game Highlights & Full Game Videos Video content platform offering game recaps, top plays of the week, dunk compilations, and full game broadcasts including the Slam'n Jam Contest, distributed on the SlamBall website and YouTube.
• SlamBall Nation Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews with coaches, players, and legends, including the 'SlamBall Nation' and 'Sh8Ke The Game Up With Stan Fletcher' series.
• Athlete Tryout Portal Online application system for prospective athletes to submit videos demonstrating athletic abilities including strength, athleticism, dunking, shooting, and speed for tryout consideration.
• SlamBall Stats & Standings Statistical tracking and league standings service including team stats, player stats, league leaders, and box scores for all games.

Quantifiable outcome

• Massive social engagement exceeding virtually any other live sports property during relaunch period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Pabst Blue RibboncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 February 2024Official Exclusive Beer Partner for 2024 and 2025 worldwide seasons. Pabst Blue Ribbon is title sponsor of the SlamBall Summer Series Dunk Contest and works with SlamBall on year-round consumer activations.
• ESPNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 June 2023Exclusive two-year broadcast partnership for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. ESPN covers live game broadcasts and SlamBall programming across its platform including television and streaming services.
• ProhiBetsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for regulatory compliance utilizing ProhiBet's advanced fully encrypted decentralized cross-monitoring and notification platform to ensure integrity in sports betting contexts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BIG3 Basketball League: Co-founded by Ice Cube, BIG3 operates a 3-on-3 professional basketball league with a seasonal format, celebrity owners, and a focus on shortened, high-intensity games. Most directly comparable alternative sports league in the U.S. targeting similar underserved basketball fans and sponsorship inventory.
• World Surf League: Governing body and commercial operator of professional surfing competitions, featuring a seasonal tour format with broadcast and sponsorship revenues. Comparable as a non-traditional sports property monetizing through action-sport spectacle and lifestyle brand alignment.
• National Lacrosse League: Established North American professional indoor lacrosse league with multiple teams and a seasonal schedule. Comparable as a longer-running alternative pro sports league operating in a niche action-sport category with broadcast and sponsorship revenue.
• Premier Lacrosse League: Backed by NBC Sports and a roster of celebrity investors, PLL launched in 2019 as a competing lacrosse league. Directly comparable as a professionally structured alternative sports league with broadcast rights, strong social media presence, and a young demographic focus.
• Overtime: Sports media and emerging league operator targeting Gen Z basketball fans with short-form content and Overtime Elite (OTE) path-to-pro league. Comparable in leveraging social-first content and youth-driven basketball culture.
• Major League Rugby: U.S.-based professional rugby league that launched in 2018 with multiple teams and broadcast partnerships. Comparable as a niche-sport league building a fan base from scratch in the U.S. market with seasonal play.
• Athletes Unlimited: Network of pro women's sports leagues (volleyball, basketball, softball, lacrosse) with a player-centric, season-long point system. Comparable as an emerging league operator experimenting with non-traditional formats and sponsorship-driven economics.
• Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL): North American professional women's hockey league that launched in 2024 with multiple teams and broadcast deals. Comparable as a recently launched league targeting under-served sports audiences with a multi-city franchise model.
• Fan Controlled Football: Fan-voted, fan-controlled indoor football league using technology for live fan engagement on play calling. Comparable as an alternative, tech-enabled league format targeting younger digital-native audiences.

Broad incumbents

• UFC: Mixed martial arts promotional organization that grew from a niche spectacle into a mainstream multi-billion-dollar sports property. Comparable as a cautionary and aspirational parallel showing how a non-traditional, action-first sport can scale viewership, sponsorships, and broadcast rights over time.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SlamBall
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@slamball
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialslamball
• Instagraminstagram.com/slamballofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@slamballleague
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slam-ball-league

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 SlamBall