Baller League will no longer be shown on Sky Sports after the broadcaster decided to drop the six-a-side tournament. The influencer-packed competition has been given a platform by Sky, but its upcoming fourth season will be shown on YouTube instead.
Influencer-packed competition moves to YouTube
Baller League has involvement from content creators like KSI and AngryGinge, as well as ex-players and media personalities like Micah Richards, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Daniel Sturridge and current star Chloe Kelly. With celebrities, including actor Idris Elba, as team managers and some recognisable faces playing, it has proven to be a hit with younger audiences.
However, The Guardian reports that Sky have decided not to renew their contract for the next season, despite being happy with viewing figures and social media engagement. Baller League will therefore go free-to-air, broadcasting the fourth season on YouTube. Mirror Football has contacted Baller League to request comment.
CEO predicts Premier League teams will join
While it appears to be a significant setback for Baller League, the company's chief executive Felix Starck has big plans for the future. "I still think that we're going to see Premier League teams in Baller League sooner rather than later," he told Sky Sports in May.
"We have a lot of things that teams are missing. One thing is the future generation [who are] consuming us and they have a lot that we are missing, which is established scouting systems, training grounds, history, culture and networks."
"So they certainly have more that we are missing but we have one big thing that they're missing, that they're all worried about, which is 'who is going to watch me in 15 years?'."
"If you have a six-a-side team as Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City or Man United... you let your 16 or 17-year-olds go because they're physically under-developed - why not stick them in your six-a-side team? Why not grow fans there and build a bridge to the 11-a-side team?"
Format and Richards' confidence
Baller League matches consist of two 15-minute halves, with teams able to influence the game further through 'Gamechanger' moments in the final three minutes of each half. These include long-range goals counting double or the six-on-six format changing to three-on-three.
Former Manchester City defender and current pundit Richards is in charge of a team called Deportrio. He has embraced the Baller League ethos and is certain it will continue to go from strength to strength.
"It's a better standard than people think," Richards told Mirror Football in November. "People are watching at home and thinking, it's just like a small little tournament. But if you're not fit then you get found out straight away.
"Especially in the first season, everyone was... saying 'what is this?' and now everyone absolutely loves it. If you look at my inbox and my Instagram, probably, I wouldn't say thousands, but hundreds of people wanting to play. That's how big it's become."
