MEDLEY, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 21: Angel Reese #5 of Rose goes up for a shot against the Lunar Owls during the second half at Wayfair Arena on February 21, 2025 in Medley, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
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Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, has closed an oversubscribed Series B investment round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, the league announced. The deal values Unrivaled at $340 million, a record figure for a new professional sports league
New investors include Serena William’s Serena Ventures, while Warner Bros. Discovery and Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures returned from previous rounds. Other contributors in this round include NBA All-Star Trae Young, Orlando Magic teammates Franz and Moritz Wagner, University of Maryland president Darryll J. Pines and Sylvia Pines, sports executive Sam Rapoport and Next Legacy Partners.
“We’re continuing to align with partners who elevate our league and accelerate our strategic growth,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement. “This rise in Unrivaled’s valuation reflects investor confidence and proves that athlete-driven models can thrive at the highest levels of business.”
Founded in 2023, Unrivaled stood out by prioritizing player experience, with athletes receiving equity stakes in addition to the highest average salary in professional women’s sports. With the league’s growing valuation, players directly benefit from its financial performance.
Unrivaled Basketball: An Immediate Success
Unrivaled’s inaugural season delivered record-breaking television and streaming numbers across TNT, truTV and Max. The league averaged 221,000 viewers throughout the season, including its playoffs, while the championship game between Rose BC and Vinyl BC drew 364,000 viewers and peaked at 385,000.
Overall, Unrivaled coverage reached more than 11.9 million viewers and produced the 10 most-watched women’s basketball games in TNT Sports’ history, as well as the 10 most-streamed women’s basketball games ever on Max. The top-rated matchup was the 1 on 1 Tournament Presented by Sprite Finals between Napheesa Collier and Aaliyah Edwards, which averaged 377,000 viewers and peaked at 398,000.
Unrivaled also saw rapid growth across digital platforms during its first season. Since its launch, league and club generated content, along with fan conversation, produced more than 589 million social media impressions. The league’s aggregate social media audience climbed to more than 730,000, with its main accounts on Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube each growing by more than 50% during the regular season.
By the end of the season, Unrivaled’s main accounts across six platforms reached nearly 400,000 followers, while its clubs added another 334,000 combined. Player accounts also surged, gaining 947,000 followers.
Unrivaled Experiences Growth Spurt
MEDLEY, FLORIDA – MARCH 17: Rose BC members lift the championship trophy after defeating Vinyl BC in the inaugural season of Unrivaled at Wayfair Arena on March 17, 2025 in Medley, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
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Unrivaled will expand ahead of its second season with the addition of two new clubs and a development player pool, the league announced Wednesday. Breeze Basketball Club and Hive Basketball Club will add 12 players to rosters, while six additional athletes will enter a season-long development pool aimed at strengthening depth and competitiveness.
“Expanding a year earlier than planned is a testament to the strong business model we’ve built and the potential Unrivaled has for long-term success,” said Luke Cooper, Unrivaled President of Basketball. “We outperformed every goal we set for the league in year one, and with the incredible talent we have returning paired with the influx of new stars, it was a no brainer to add two more clubs this season.”
To accommodate the expansion, the league will add a fourth night of games each week. Each club is scheduled to play two games per week under the new format, which is expected to eliminate back-to-back contests. The full schedule will be released later.
The development pool is designed to give younger players access to daily practices, training sessions and a dedicated performance staff. Participants will have the same resources and amenities as rostered players and will compete in Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 format to stay game-ready. Development players can be called up to fill roster spots if needed and then return to the pool once their role is complete
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberta-rodrigues/2025/09/10/unrivaled-hits-340m-valuation-adds-two-clubs-after-series-b-round/
