Adaptive sports are having their breakthrough moment. The International Wheelchair Basketball League announced that cumulative attendance for its 2025-26 season surpassed 2 million — a 150% jump from the previous year and more than many able-bodied professional leagues achieve. The surge follows a landmark broadcast deal with ESPN and Netflix that brought weekly games to living rooms in 190 countries.
"People tune in for the athleticism and stay for the stories," said league commissioner Maria Gonzalez. Star players like Japan's Daisuke Hayashi and Nigeria's Amina Bello have become global celebrities, with combined social-media followings exceeding 25 million. Corporate sponsorship revenue has quadrupled, allowing the league to establish youth development programs in 40 countries and fully fund players' travel and equipment for the first time.
“The International Wheelchair Basketball League announced that cumulative attendance for its 2025-26 season surpassed 2 million — a 150% jump from the previous year and more than many able-bodied professional leagues achieve.”
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