Thailand-based media and entertainment firm TERO Entertainment is betting on the fast-paced 3×3 basketball format to tap India’s youth market — and its ambition goes beyond launching yet another commercial sports league.
Endorsed by FIBA, the international basketball federation, TERO sees India as its next big growth market. The larger objective: create more opportunities for young players to compete, earn international rankings and, eventually, build a pathway to the Olympics.
“We are very ambitious. Our ambition is to make this event the road to the Olympics — to take India to the Olympics,” said Brian L Macrar, founder and managing director.
The company’s immediate focus is grassroots development. Merely creating a domestic league, TERO argues, will not make India competitive; players need international exposure.
“If it is only Indian versus Indian, it will never be able to drive that,” said Chandrakant Singh, managing director and CEO, TERO India. “This is where TERO differs from a conventional franchise-led sports business. Our immediate focus is not on team valuations or celebrity appeal, but on developing players and building a competitive ecosystem.”
Born of streetball, 3×3 is played on a half-court with one hoop and three players a side, each team permitted one substitution. Games last just 10 minutes or end when a team reaches 21 points, and a 10-second shot clock makes the format faster and more intense than traditional basketball. Now the world’s top urban team sport, 3×3 is a full Olympic discipline.
TERO believes the combination of speed, simplicity and minimal infrastructure makes the format tailor-made for India’s urban youth. “You cannot waste time,” said Macrar, pointing to the premium the game places on quick passing, decision-making, stamina and creativity.
The format can also be staged outside conventional venues — in schools, streets and malls. TERO is already in talks with a Delhi school of nearly 10,000 students for a potential collaboration.
The short, sharp games are made for Instagram and YouTube, and with a maximum playing time of 10 minutes, several matches can be packed into a single event window.
The company envisages a festival-like experience around tournaments — music, DJs, food and giant screens — blending sport with entertainment. That gives sponsors a different proposition: rather than simply placing a logo on a jersey, brands can buy into an entertainment property built around a young audience.