vba

What vba does

VBA, legally Công Ty Cổ Phần Bóng Rổ Việt Nam (Vietnam Basketball Joint Stock Company), is the operator of Vietnam's first professional basketball league, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City and founded in July 2016. Its core product is the annual VBA 5x5 season, currently in its 11th edition (VBA 2026), contested by six city-based franchises — Hanoi Buffaloes, Danang Dragons, Nha Trang Dolphins, Saigon Heat, Ho Chi Minh City Wings, and Cantho Catfish — and involving more than 100 professional athletes. The company has extended its product surface beyond the flagship 5-on-5 season with sub-brands including VBA 3x3 (running the 3x3.EXE Premier Vietnam 2025 tournament), VBA STAR X (a secondary competition format), and VBA Cares (community programming), and operates a youth talent pipeline via the VBA Scouting Tour, Rising Camp, Combine Challenges, and Rookie Draft.

The underlying technology stack combines third-party operational integrations rather than proprietary infrastructure: Genius Sports provides live in-game statistics and data feeds; a Zalo-based VBA Mini App extends ticketing, content, and commerce into Vietnam's largest domestic messaging platform; ticket.vba.vn and shop.vba.vn handle primary ticketing and merchandise; and VNPay and OnePay process payments. Revenue is generated through three primary streams — ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsorship — with sponsorship clearly dominant. The sponsor roster is anchored by category-exclusive partnerships with Grab (Exclusive Mobility & Food Delivery) and MSB (Exclusive Financial), alongside Nike, Anessa, New Era, TikTok, Molten, bTaskee, Tide, Dat Bike, and FPT Play, targeting a reported fan base of more than one million across six major Vietnamese cities. Governance is led by CEO Trần Chu Sa (Giám đốc điều hành VBA); no external funding rounds, M&A activity, or revenue figures have been disclosed.

Name

vba

Legal name

Công Ty Cổ Phần Bóng Rổ Việt Nam

Website

https://vba.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

VBA (Công Ty Cổ Phần Bóng Rổ Việt Nam) operates Vietnam's first professional basketball league, fielding six city-based franchises in the annual VBA 5x5 season and serving fans, athletes, and brand sponsors across Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD)

Keywords

• Professional basketball league
• Sports entertainment
• Basketball ticketing
• Team merchandise
• Talent development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Online ticket sales through ticket.vba.vn for all regular season and playoff matches. Electronic tickets (E-tickets) delivered via QR code.
2. Merchandise Sales: Official merchandise shop at shop.vba.vn including team merchandise and collectibles like VBA STAR X Card collections.
3. Sponsorship: Partnership deals with sponsors including MSB (Exclusive Financial Partner), Grab (Exclusive Mobility & Food Delivery Partner), Nike, Anessa, New Era, TikTok, Molten, bTaskee, Tide, Dat Bike, and FPT Play (Strategic Partner).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VBA operates Vietnam's first professional basketball league, organizing the VBA 5x5 league (with 6 teams across 6 major cities), the 3x3.EXE Premier Vietnam tournament, and the VBA STAR X event. The league sells match tickets online through ticket.vba.vn and official merchandise through shop.vba.vn, supported by sponsorships from major brands including Grab, MSB, and Nike.

Product overview

VBA (Giải Bóng Rổ Chuyên Nghiệp Việt Nam) operates a multi-product basketball sports-entertainment ecosystem. The core offering is the VBA 5x5 professional basketball league featuring 6 clubs, complemented by the VBA 3x3 (3x3.EXE Premier Vietnam) tournament and the VBA STAR X event. Supporting products include the VBA Ticket Platform (ticket.vba.vn) for match ticketing with VNPay/OnePay payment integration, the VBA Shop (shop.vba.vn) for merchandise, the VBA Official Website (vba.vn) for schedules/standings/statistics/news/videos, and the VBA Mini App on Zalo. Talent development programs (VBA Scouting Tour, VBA Rising Camp, VBA Combine Challenges, VBA Rookie Draft) feed players into the professional league. Fan engagement products include the VBA STAR X Card Collection Program and Nike Baller Access Card. Additionally, VBA organizes the Hội Trại Bóng Rổ Sinh Viên Mùa Hè student basketball camp in partnership with Trung ương Hội Sinh viên Việt Nam and Grab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VBA 5x5: The main 5-a-side professional basketball league format of VBA, featuring 6 teams competing in a full-court format.
• VBA 3x3
• VBA STAR X
• VBA Mini App
• VBA Cares

Products and services

• VBA 5x5 Professional Basketball League The flagship 5-on-5 professional basketball league of Vietnam, featuring 6 competing clubs (Hanoi Buffaloes, Danang Dragons, Nha Trang Dolphins, Saigon Heat, Ho Chi Minh City Wings, Cantho Catfish) in regular season and playoffs. Match tickets are sold via ticket.vba.vn with electronic tickets and QR code delivery.
• VBA 3x3 (3x3.EXE Premier Vietnam) Tournament A 3-on-3 basketball tournament operated under the FIBA 3x3 franchise, running as a complementary product to the main 5x5 league. It expands VBA's reach into the faster-paced 3x3 format popular in Southeast Asia.
• VBA STAR X Tournament A separate tournament product within the VBA ecosystem, distinct from the main 5x5 league, with its own competition format and championship structure. Hanoi Buffaloes won the VBA STAR X championship in September 2025.
• Official VBA Merchandise Official merchandise sold via shop.vba.vn, including team merchandise, collectibles, and promotional items such as VBA STAR X Card collections.
• VBA Mini App (on Zalo) A lightweight application available on the Zalo platform, providing fans with mobile access to VBA content, match information, news, schedules, and league features within the Zalo ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2016, VBA was recognized as one of the events with mass influence in Vietnam, alongside President Obama's meeting with Vietnamese youth and Vietnam International Fashion Week
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Grab Vietnam (Công ty TNHH Grab)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Grab Vietnam serves as the Exclusive Mobility & Food Delivery Partner for VBA 2026 season. In this role, Grab provides exclusive transportation and food delivery services for players, teams, and fans. The partnership includes organizing the Summer Basketball Camp for university students nationwide, supporting VBA Scouting Tour, VBA Rising Camp, VBA Combine Challenges, and VBA Rookie Draft programs. Grab also offers exclusive discount codes for fans traveling to the 6 official venue areas and shuttle services in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.
• Trung ương Hội Sinh viên Việt NamflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Partnership to expand basketball access for students nationwide and nurture young basketball talents. Activities include organizing Summer Basketball Camp nationwide for university students, directing the student association system across provinces and universities to participate in VBA activities, and supporting talent development pathways from amateur to professional level through VBA programs (Scouting Tour, Rising Camp, Combine Challenges, Rookie Draft).
• MSB (Ngân hàng TMCP Hàng Hải Việt Nam)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMSB is the Exclusive Financial Partner of VBA. The partnership includes promotional activities such as MSB Rewards programs with Halloween deals, MasterCard Green World sustainability campaigns, and various customer appreciation offers. MSB ChatBanking and other financial services are promoted through VBA channels.
• FPT PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPT Play serves as a Strategic Partner, providing digital broadcasting and streaming services for VBA matches, enabling wider accessibility for fans across Vietnam.
• Nike Vietnam (Nike by ACFC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNike is the official athletic wear partner, providing equipment and apparel for players. Nike also collaborates on player development initiatives including the Nike Baller Access Card program for player perks and development.
• AnessaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnessa is a sponsor partner, with branding featured in the special programs section of the VBA website and promotional materials.
• New EraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Era is a headwear and apparel partner with branding in VBA promotional materials and special programs section.
• TikTokminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTikTok is a digital marketing partner providing social media platform presence for VBA content and youth engagement.
• MoltenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMolten is the official ball partner, providing basketball equipment for league matches and training programs.
• bTaskeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerbTaskee is a cleaning service partner with promotional activities and branding in VBA marketing channels.
• TideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTide is a laundry detergent brand partner with promotional activities featured in VBA marketing materials.
• Dat BikeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDat Bike is an electric motorcycle brand partner with branding in VBA promotional materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Philippine Basketball Association (PBA): The Philippines' premier professional basketball league, featuring multiple member clubs competing in a season-long format. Directly comparable to VBA as a national professional basketball league operator selling tickets, merchandise, and sponsorships in an Asian market.
• Korean Basketball League (KBL): South Korea's top professional basketball league operating 10 clubs in a season-and-playoff structure. Highly comparable as an Asian professional basketball league with ticketed matches, team merchandise, and major corporate sponsorships.
• B.League (Japan): Japan's professional basketball league, structured as a B1/B2/B3 pyramid with regional clubs. Directly comparable to VBA as a national professional basketball league built on a sports-entertainment model with strong sponsor activation and digital fan engagement.

Regional players

• ASEAN Basketball League (ABL): A regional professional basketball league spanning Southeast Asia. Comparable to VBA on basketball format, but it operates across multiple ASEAN countries rather than a single domestic market, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
• V.League 1 (Vietnamese Professional Football): Vietnam's top professional football league. Operates in the same country with a similar professional-sports business model (ticketed matches, sponsorships, merchandise, broadcast deals) but in a different sport, making it a domestic competitor for fan attention and sponsorship budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Chinese Basketball Association (CBA): China's top professional basketball league. Operates in a much larger market but follows the same national-league professional basketball model with club competition, ticketing, broadcasting, and sponsorship — a broader incumbent in the same product category.

Emerging players

• National Basketball League (NBL) Australia: Australia's professional men's basketball league. Comparable as a national professional basketball league in Asia-Pacific with ticketed home games, league merchandise, and corporate sponsorships, though operating in a more developed sports market.

Others

• FIBA 3x3 (3x3.EXE / WS Series): International governing body and event operator for 3x3 basketball, under whose umbrella VBA runs 3x3.EXE Premier Vietnam. A thematically related ecosystem participant and franchise licensor rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VBA.vn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vba-vietnam-pro-basketball-league

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 vba