Richard Brown’s Passenger and Fremantle announced that Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League has secured North American distribution partners ahead of its world premiere today at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
ESPN has acquired exclusive U.S. rights and In Canada, the series will be available for streaming on Crave, and TSN, completing a major North American distribution footprint. With producer Fremantle handling global sales, the four part documentary film is positioned to reach audiences worldwide, bringing the inspiring story of basketball and The BAL to screens across continents.
Origin documents the creation and launch of the NBA's first collaboration to operate a league outside North America, a pan-African professional basketball league in partnership with FIBA featuring 12 top club teams from across Africa's 54 countries competing in a caravan format.
“The BAL is the culmination of decades of work by the NBA and FIBA to grow basketball in Africa and give aspiring African players a predictable pathway to learn the game and maximize their potential," said Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League. "Through these agreements with ESPN and Bell Media, fans across North America will get a behind-the-scenes look at the BAL’s historic inaugural season and the impact that the league is having on lives, communities and economies across the continent."
“As filmmakers, we were granted remarkable access to chronicle not only the inaugural season of The Basketball Africa League itself, but the personal journeys of the competing players and coaches, as well as the visionaries who are building something historic.” said Richard Brown, co-director, writer, and executive producer. “To have ESPN and Bell Media — two of the most respected and far-reaching platforms in North America — bring Origin to audience is truly exciting. Their belief in this series ensures this series will have the visibility and impact we hoped for; these are stories of ambition, competition, resilience and transformation.”
Masai Ujiri, Giants of Africa co-founder, former Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President, series executive producer added: “The story of Origin chronicles basketball’s power to unite, inspire, and transform communities. To see this documentary acquired by ESPN and Bell Media is a powerful affirmation of the incredible work being done by many to support and nurture young and upcoming talent across Africa. We are only at the beginning of telling Africa’s incredible story and its talent being celebrated by the world.”
“With strong connections to well-known basketball figures in Canada and Toronto, we know this documentary will appeal to Crave and TSN audiences who are looking for compelling, engaging, and inspiring content,” said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Content Development and Programming, Bell Media.
