Cosmos Sports of Mississauga, Ontario has announced its plans to form a new Canadian professional basketball league with a target to begin play in the fall of 2014. A minimum of 8 franchises across Canada are being sought with Winnipeg being one of the cities targeted. The 'Canadian Basketball League' (or CBL) will be formed to have two divisions whereby cross divisional travel is limited to playoffs; a team salary cap will be enforced; all teams will have substantial requirements of both sales and marketing of their clubs and provide annual dues to the League to ensure its stability. Read the full media release issued by Cosmos at... NEWS RELEASE
June 11, 2013
For Immediate Release
Founding the Canadian Basketball League
The Canadian Basketball League (“CBL”) is pleased to be issuing its first press release declaring the viability of the establishment of a Canadian professional basketball league.
“The overriding objective of the CBL is that all franchises be financially sustainable both in the short and long-term. The vision of the league is to develop and foster Canadian basketball talent. The CBL will continue to foster its relationship with the Provincial and National basketball in order to expand on the minimum of several Canadians per team.” said Cary Kaplan, President of Cosmos Sports Inc.
The CBL will now seek a minimum of eight (8) like-minded groups or individuals who are willing to adhere to the findings of the feasibility study; groups interested in owning a franchise in the League that would begin play in the autumn of 2014.
To be clear, this is not the launch of the CBL. This is a press release to notify the market place that the CBL is seeking several like-minded groups willing to be part of this enterprise. The league will be formed to have two divisions whereby cross divisional travel is limited to playoffs; a team salary cap will be enforced; all teams will have substantial requirements of both sales and marketing of their clubs and provide annual dues to the League to ensure its stability.
All applicants will be reviewed on a combination of their financial viability, their sales and marketing foundation and their Basketball acumen. Once all prospective franchises are reviewed, a ‘prospective owners’ meeting is targeted for mid-July of 2013 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Following the completion of a comprehensive feasibility study by Cosmos Sports, including consultation with thousands of fans, administrators, governing officials, and multiple other stakeholders, the CNBA Inc. founded by Robert Smeenk, Thomas Smeenk, and Greg Nelson (“Founders”) and Cosmos Sports are confident that a professional basketball league in Canada run within certain business and basketball parameters is viable and sustainable over the long-term.
“The Founders are pleased to be working with Cosmos Sports” said Robby Smeenk, CNBA President. “They have the experience, working relationships and trust of the North American sports industry,” he added. Founded in 2003 by former Hamilton Bulldogs president Cary Kaplan, Cosmos Sports has worked with hundreds of organizations and are among the sports industry leaders in revenue generation. Cosmos Sports has consulted for and or provided training to numerous sports leagues and teams, which include the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, BC Lions, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Eskimos, NHL, CFL, CHL WHL, and MLS.
For franchise enquiries or more information, please contact Anthony Vella, Cosmos Sports (905) 564-4660, ext. 241.