CBC Sports reunites with Canadian Elite Basketball League, striking 5-year partnership

Highlighting CBC Sports' five-year partnership with the Canadian Elite Basketball League, announced Tuesday, will be the broadcast of the first best-of-three league championship in August.

Marquee games will air on CBC-TV while all contests will be live streamed on CBC Gem and CBC Sports YouTube.

With 10 teams across the country, the CEBL’s focus is to “meet fans where they are,” league president and CEO Ty Mazereeuw said in a news release.

“Partnering with CBC Sports brings the CEBL to more Canadians on a trusted national stage, and expands access across digital platforms, including CBC Gem and YouTube, giving basketball fans of all ages more choice in how they follow our biggest moments.”

Chris Wilson, CBC’s executive director of Sports and Olympics, said the public broadcaster looks forward to sharing excitement from the court with wider audiences on its platforms while interacting and serving local fans in CEBL locations across Canada.

“Canadian basketball is having a moment right now on the world stage,” he added. “Through our partnership with the CEBL, we can bring the energy and momentum of Canada’s top young players to fans across the country.”

CBC Sports was the league’s broadcast partner for its inaugural seasons from 2019 through 2022.

The CEBL has teams in six provinces and 70 per cent of its players are from Canada, the highest proportion of domestic talent in any professional league in the country.

The CEBL boasts a fan base of 4.1 million Canadians, up 57 per cent from four years ago, and has cultivated Canada’s youngest basketball audience with over 50 per cent of its fans 34 or younger.

Nearly 40 of CEBL players have signed NBA contracts.

The 2026 regular season opens May 9 in Edmonton with the