Consultants help London Lions with feasibility study for new basketball arena
The London Lions have completed the first phase of a feasibility study into a new, custom-built multi-purpose arena in London – a project which would give a major boost to basketball, sport and culture across the capital. Experts from The Sports Consultancy have led the delivery of the feasibility study.
Basketball is undergoing a period of unprecedented growth and investment across England. Overtaking rugby and cricket, the US-import is now the second most popular team sport in England, with 1.15 million people playing weekly.
The sport is particularly popular in the capital, leading to major attention from across the Atlantic. In January 2026, the NBA will return to London for the first time since 2019, with the Memphis Grizzlies facing the Orlando Magic at The O2, while Manchester will host its first NBA regular season game in 2027 at the Co-op Live arena. Combined, the games are projected to generate over £100 million in economic impact.
Keen to capitalise on this, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan established a dedicated basketball taskforce in 2024 to elevate the sport’s profile, secure major events, and create opportunities for young people. Meanwhile, in 2025, the UK Government and NBA announced a landmark £10 million joint investment to grow basketball in England – the first time the Government has committed dedicated funding for the sport. The Government will allocate £5 million in 2026/27, with the NBA matching that investment through to 2028 to expand grassroots programmes that currently reach more than 50,000 young people across the UK each year.
Amid this, the London Lions – the title-holders of Britain’s top tier basketball tournament, the SLB Championship – have completed the first phase of a feasibility study into a new, custom-built multi-purpose arena in London – a project which would give a major boost to basketball, sport and culture across the capital. The study follows the Mayor of London’s announcement in July backing the Lions’ ambition to build a permanent home for basketball in the city, supported by City Hall’s technical expertise and strategic guidance.
Khan commented, “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am pleased to support the London Lions as they pursue their ambitious vision to establish a new, multi-purpose arena in our city. We will continue to harness the huge popularity of basketball to create positive opportunities for young people, attract new fans to the sport and host even more major events, which will provide a significant boost to the economy and help build a better, healthier and more prosperous London for everyone.”
Conducted with The Sports Consultancy and Trivandi, the study marks the completion of RIBA Stage 1 and confirms the viability and demand for a new large arena in London of at least 15,000-seat capacity – appropriate for basketball and multi-purpose events, alongside a 3,500-seat secondary community arena. The development would provide the London Lions with a permanent home, while the study also argues it would deliver substantial benefits to London and the wider UK.
The main arena would host approximately 40 basketball games each year, including London Lions fixtures and major international events, alongside more than 100 sports and cultural performances – ensuring year-round activity and financial sustainability. The independent analysis projects a total economic impact exceeding £3.4 billion over 13 years, the creation of around 1,000 full time equivalent jobs, and significant regeneration potential.
Lenz Balan, CEO of the London Lions, remarked, "This is a significant moment for the London Lions and British basketball. We’ve always known we need a true home for the game in London – somewhere that brings people together and gives young people a place to belong. This study shows it’s not only possible, but that the impact on the city would be substantial.”
With Phase 1 complete, the project moves into the second stage of feasibility in partnership with Legends, the global premium experiences company. This will explore detailed site options, planning and delivery strategies, and engage partners across London to identify where the arena can best serve both sport and local communities. The next phase will also examine funding approaches and delivery models to ensure long-term sustainability.
A statement from The Sports Consultancy on LinkedIn highlighted the efforts of Tom Pinnington, Ellie Taylor, Dom Harris, Peter Griffin and Harriet Dunn, adding the firm was “proud to have led the delivery” of the feasibility study. The consultancy added that it had been “a fantastic opportunity to showcase our arena credentials”, while also giving “huge credit to the BC London Lions, Tesonet, The Sports Consultancy and Trivandi team for driving this exciting project forward.”
TSC
Founded in 2006, The Sports Consultancy (TSC) is a business advisory firm, which specialises in the sporting sector. The company provides a mix of management consultancy, commercial sales and negotiation and legal services to clients including some of the sports world’s best-known rights owners, athletes, stadia and facilities, brands and investors – with clients including the NFL, Formula 1, FIFA, and Volleyball World.
This reputation has contributed to TSC being named as a platinum provider of consulting services for the sports category of Consultancy.uk’s industry rankings. Earlier in 2025, the firm also became the latest member of the UK consulting sector to be awarded the highly coveted King’s Award for Enterprise, recognising the firm’s growing impact across the global sports, events and entertainment sectors.
