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CASH CALL GOES URGENT

BBL clubs are still awaiting confirmation of the exact nature of a government bailout.

And the uncertainty has left the risk of financial collapses hanging in the air, says one leading figure within the British Basketball League.

Sources have told MVP that it remains likely that the Department for Digital, Media and Culture and Sport will provide a £3 million grant to the sport, based on figures provided by each of the eleven teams in a proposal that outlined the losses from playing behind closed doors for the remainder of this season.

However, less than ten days before the BBL campaign is due to tip off, there remains no clarity over the precise nature of the Treasury funding with government only closing its consultation with various sports in recent days.

“We’ve been in contact with them [DCMS] and they’ve said that they’ll offer their support,” Leicester Riders MD, Russell Levenston, told the BBC.

“But we don’t know what that means, how much or when. They know our time deadlines,and we’re very close to that deadline.”

It is understood there remains a cluster of BBL clubs prepared to further postpone, or call off, the season without the guarantee of sufficient backing.

And Levenston added: “For October we can get through. But in November we will not, without their [DCMS] support.

“We’ve had to make a lot of redundancies already. We’re in that situation that if funding doesn’t come by the end of this month we’ll have catastrophic consequences.”

It is thought the BBL will aim to finalise a TV deal to complement the streaming services offered by each individual club with Sky Sports believed to be the front runner.

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