NBL enters new golden era

11 Mar 2026

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“There’s no doubt we are in the midst of a new golden era of basketball fandom in Australia and New Zealand."

The Hungry Jack’s NBL will break its all-time attendance record for the second straight season, with total attendance set to surpass last year’s benchmark.

Over 1,135,166 fans have poured through the gates at games so far this season, edging past last year’s record of 1,135,135 and marking the third consecutive year the League has welcomed more than one million fans through its doors.

The appetite for NBL basketball was evident from the outset. Canberra’s five-day CODE Sports NBL Blitz completely sold out, and more than 60,000 fans attended the NBAxNBL Melbourne Series featuring Melbourne United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. EuroLeague giants Panathinaikos and KK Partizan faced off against the NBL’s Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers in the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament. These events helped build excitement for the season ahead but are not included in the official NBL26 attendance figures.

“There’s no doubt we are in the midst of a new golden era of basketball fandom in Australia and New Zealand,” NBL Group CEO David Stevenson said.

“Our fans are the driving force behind everything we do, and we thank them for continuing to show up in such incredible numbers to support their teams across the country.

“We’re also incredibly grateful to our clubs, as well as our broadcast, commercial and media partners, whose ongoing support and collaboration continues to help grow the League and deliver an amazing experience for fans.

“The players also deserve enormous credit. The level of talent, effort and heroics they bring to every game is extraordinary and is a huge reason why fans keep coming back week after week.”

The record comes amid a period of strong engagement across the League, with 58 sell-outs recorded across the season. The Tasmania JackJumpers continued their extraordinary streak at MyState Bank Arena, with every game sold out since their inception in NBL22, while the Adelaide 36ers have had a remarkable run of 38 consecutive sell-outs at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

The Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Finals continue this Saturday 14th March with a massive double-header live on ESPN. The South East Melbourne Phoenix will host the Adelaide 36ers in a must-win game to keep their Championship dreams alive, followed by the Perth Wildcats taking on the Sydney Kings in the West.

Playoffs Series 1

Game 2
South East Melbourne Phoenix v Adelaide 36ers
Saturday, March 14 - 5.30pm AEDT
John Cain Arena
Tickets | Phoenix Finals Hub

Game 3
Adelaide 36ers v South East Melbourne Phoenix
Tuesday, March 17 - 7.30pm AEDT
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
(if required)
Tickets | 36ers Finals Hub