Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment to launch basketball league in 2023

Fan Controlled Football (FCF), a tech-focused indoor football competition, is expanding with the debut of a comparable basketball concept league in February 2023.

Fan Controlled Football (FCF), a professional 7-on-7 indoor football league played at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia, and aired on Twitch, NBCLX, DAZN, FuboTV and Peacock, was introduced by Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment (FCSE) in 2017.

Fan Controlled Hoops (FCH), the league’s basketball division, will follow a similar path to FCF, which has enjoyed two productive seasons. Details of the inaugural four teams of FCH will be revealed in the coming months, with tryouts set to be held in October 2022. Animoca Brands and Verizon Ventures were among the investors in a funding round earlier this year that saw FCSE raise US$40 million to support its growth.

All games will take place on a fully-interactive smart LED court, which will be lit up to show game elements including “lit zones,” “lit players,” powerups, substitutes and statistics. The building will be constructed in Atlanta, where FCF games are also held.

FCH will provide fans the ability to choose team names and logos, lineups, league rules and even specific plays to be made on the field. With the aim of attracting younger followers, live sports that incorporate fantasy and video game aspects are being promoted as an alternative to more established, traditional sports leagues.

There will be rule and presentational modifications in the new basketball league. Four players on each team will be used instead of the regular five-a-side format and even the 3×3 version in FCH. Penalty points will also be used instead of free throws as the other significant alteration.

Speaking on the launch, FCSE Co-Founder and Chief Executive Sohrob Farudi said: 

“We created a thriving football league with FCF and more importantly, validated our belief that sports fans want to take their fandom to the next level. We know our model is truly limitless, and with Michele and Baron on board, we are now going to crush it with FCH.”

Michele A. Roberts, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, added:

“I’ve always had a passion for basketball and am thrilled to team with FCH to build an exciting league for fans of all ages,” said Roberts. “Sohrob and his team are revolutionising the way fans consume and interact with sports. I look forward to bringing my knowledge of the NBA and some ideas I’ve had through the years to create an incredibly entertaining brand of basketball.”