How social media grew the Brodie League from Burlington to Boston
As with most sports, basketball is a consistently evolving game. In the ’90s, everyone wanted to jump like Michael Jordan; in the 2010s, people wanted to shoot a basketball like Steph Curry. In the 2020s, sports fans are seeing the influence of social media on the game. It’s seen in professional leagues, but far less prominent in pickup ball or crappy “beer league” basketball leagues.
An Ontario-based startup basketball league called Brodie League saw the landscape of basketball fandom and the lack of quality rec leagues and decided it shouldn’t just be the pros getting this experience. To adapt and work with the digital age, Brodie made their league feel as close to the NBA as possible and placed a massive importance on social media. By usingInstagram and TikTok, they’ve grown extremely fast and created a unique basketball league that hoopers of all skill levels have enjoyed.
“(Brodie) gives them a pro experience that they don’t get in any other league” said Toronto locations commissioner, Evan Clavir.
There’s clearly been a need for this outlet as Brodie League locations [TG1] have been popping up all over North America. What first started in Burlington, Ont. in January 2020 has grown to 25 locations, including Alberta, British Columbia, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Chicago.
The league prides itself on their detail-oriented experience that is extremely unique for adult leagues. This includes custom jerseys, modern facilities, All-Star games on NBA courts, champagne trophy celebrations, in-depth stat-keeping, and five different skill divisions.
“(Brodie) feels like an elevated version of basketball that people who don’t play after high school rarely get” said Olivier Segal, who’s played at both the Toronto and Burlington location.
These physical aspects of the league, paired with their social media impact, has led to their remarkable growth. A simple scroll through their social media will show video montages, professional action shots, power rankings and “Player of the Game” posts. It attracts players to the league and motivates active players who hope to receive a video “mixtape” or post.
“They really do a great job with the social media stuff,” said Robert Nortmann, a retired member of the Bahamas men’s national basketball team. “The Instagram posts are always crazy… They’ve really built a following and expanded on it.” After 10+ years playing FIBA basketball overseas, Nortmann’s returned to his hometown of Toronto and been able to keep his passion for basketball alive.
Social media is far from a perfect element of society. It can make people feel lonely, left out and self-absorbed. But so far, Brodie’s connection to social media has been positive.
The Toronto location’s leading scorer, Ethan Allen, is prominent on the league’s Instagram. He’s featured on their website, often playing games while mic’d up, and participated at the Scotiabank Arena All-Star game in January.
When asked if all the social media awareness he’s gained has helped his business as a personal basketball trainer, Allen said, “Yes, my page has grown over double the amount of followers. I’ve made so many good friends and networking into the ball scene has been crazy”. After spending most of his adulthood in the United Kingdom, Allen has moved back to Toronto and feels embraced by the basketball community that Brodie’s provided him.
“It has definitely brought a sense of community, hanging out before and after Sunday games has been a routine,” said Allen.
A short-form TikTok video posted on the Brodie League’s TikTok account titled “How We Built NBA 2K In Real Life” gained 200,000 views and 10,000 followers overnight. NBA2K is the number one selling sports video game in North America, selling over 7 million units, according to VentureBeat. Although video games don’t push the “physical exercise” agenda of Brodie, they are tightly connected to the league.
Each Brodie game is live streamed on BallerTV, and it allows players to rewatch games, clip their highlights and post them to social media. These digital characteristics are seen heavily in the growing community of video game live streamers. Since the pandemic, livestreaming has become an extremely fast growing industry. NBA2K is one of the most popularly streamed games and fans have been jumping at the opportunity to participate in the real-life version.
The league also employs a “Brodie Badge” system, which allows you to earn “Badges” for your profile that showcase a certain skill. If you’re a skilled defender, you might get the “Clamps” badge, a badge made known by NBA2K. Brodie is following a successful pattern in video games where you are constantly earning and working your way towards achievements. Whether it’s for self-satisfaction or the ability to show off to others, it provides endorphins.
“People obviously love 2K, so if you’re able to come in here and perform well and get a badge or a highlight tape, it really separates (us) from other leagues,” said Clavir.
The Brodie League has created and captured a perfect mix of athletes craving a social, competitive, and professional basketball environment in this new age of social media, video games and the endorphins attached. It’s led to one of the fastest-growing sports leagues in North America, and it’s only a matter of time until other sports catch on.
