{{short description|Professional men's basketball league}} {{redirect|CEBL|the former European league|Central European Basketball League}} {{Infobox sports league | title = Canadian Elite Basketball League | logo = Canadian Elite Basketball League logo.png | pixels = 260px | sport = Basketball | founded = {{start date and age|2017|10|25|df=y}}<ref name="sn">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/new-coast-coast-canadian-pro-basketball-league-cebl-announced/|title=New coast-to-coast Canadian pro basketball league announced|website=Sportsnet.ca|publisher=Rogers Media|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref> | inaugural = 2019 | motto = ''This is Our Game''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cebl.ca/holdcourt|title=#Holdcourt — Canadian Elite Basketball League|website=cebl.ca|publisher=|access-date=2023-10-22}}</ref> | country = Canada | other countries = | administrator = Canada Basketball | confed = FIBA Americas | divisions = | teams = 10 | promotion = | relegation = | domest_cup = | supercup = | confed_cup = Champions League | champions = Niagara River Lions<br />(2nd title) | champ_season = 2025 | most_champs = Edmonton Stingers<br/>Niagara River Lions <br />(2 titles) | most_appearances = | top_scorer = | ceo = | commissioner = | president = Tyler Mazereeuw | tv = {{ubl|class=nowrap| | '''Canada:''' | CBC Sports / CBC Gem | '''International:''' |Next Level Sports (United States) | Fox Sports Australia (Australia) | TapGo (Philippines) | SingTel (Singapore) | Astro (Malaysia) }} | website = {{URL|https://www.cebl.ca/|CEBL.ca}} | current = 2026 CEBL season }}
The '''Canadian Elite Basketball League''' ('''CEBL'''; {{langx|fr|Ligue élite canadienne de basketball—LÉCB}}) is the premier men's professional basketball league in Canada, as recognized by Canada Basketball.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CEBL - Canada Basketball Partnership |url=https://www.cebl.ca/canada-basketball |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=www.cebl.ca |language=en}}</ref> The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams all owned and operated by ownership group Canadian Basketball Ventures.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/article-former-cfler-mike-morreale-heads-up-new-canadian-elite-basketball/|title=Former CFLer Mike Morreale to head up Canadian Elite Basketball League|last=Ewing|first=Lory|date=May 2, 2018|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=December 21, 2019|agency=The Canadian Press}}</ref>
The league currently consists of 10 teams from six provinces, with four from Ontario, two from Alberta, and one each from British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, the largest number of teams of any professional sports league operating entirely in Canada.
CEBL teams play 24 regular-season games from May to August. The season culminates with the top four teams in each conference making the playoffs. The first two rounds are single elimination format, with the finals being best-of-three.
== History == [[File:2020 CEBL Champions.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Edmonton Stingers holding the CEBL trophy in 2020]] The CEBL was first announced in October 2017.<ref name="sn"/> Niagara River Lions owner Richard Petko had been dissatisfied with the operations of the National Basketball League of Canada, which he deemed to be a "shoestring business" with no vision. He attempted to persuade the league to hire Mike Morreale, a former Canadian Football League player who, Petko felt, could do better at marketing the league and attracting sponsorship. However, after the NBL declined, Petko and Morreale decided to organize their own league, with Morreale as CEO.<ref name="cbc-cebl"/> The six charter teams were officially unveiled in May 2018, with the River Lions joining five newly created franchises in Edmonton, AB, Guelph, ON, Hamilton, ON, Saskatoon, SK, and Abbotsford, BC (moved to Langley in 2021).<ref name="cbc-cebl" />
Morreale stated that the CEBL would emphasize offering a "party wrapped around a basketball game" with "a ton of value for the fans" in order to attract spectators, including outdoor pre-game events, in-arena entertainment, autograph sessions, and other features.<ref name="cbc-cebl" /> The CEBL initially operated as a single entity, with all teams owned by the league under individual general managers. The league has gradually moved teams towards local ownership, with six teams in 2023 having independent ownership.<ref name="cbc-cebl">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/canadian-elite-basketball-league-1.4661379|title=Canadian Elite Basketball League striving to be more than a 'shoestring business'|last=McGaughey|first=Paul|date=May 15, 2018|website=CBC Sports|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonsun.com/sports/basketball/edmonton-stingers-purchase-another-step-in-progression-of-cebl#:~:text=The%20Stingers%20are%20the%20sixth,James%20Burns%20and%20fellow%20Edmonton|title=Edmonton Stingers purchase another step in progression of CEBL|date=February 23, 2023}}</ref>
In December 2018, the CEBL reached a five-year deal with New Era to be the official apparel provider of the league. The CEBL also reached an official agreement with Canada Basketball for it to be recognized as its first division professional league (in a league system akin to European competition); this endorsement also allows the CEBL access to resources from the governing body. Canada Basketball CEO Glen Grunwald stated that the league would provide an "exciting new product and a further development opportunity for Canadian players, coaches, referees, administrators and management types."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/sports-story/9070985-cebl-joins-canada-basketball-pyramid/|title=CEBL joins Canada Basketball pyramid|last=Milton|first=Steve|date=2018-12-06|work=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=2019-04-20|language=en-CA|issn=1189-9417}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/9070639-cebl-partners-with-canada-basketball-inks-deal-with-new-era/|title=CEBL partners with Canada Basketball, inks deal with New Era|last=Hutton|first=Richard|date=2018-12-06|website=NiagaraThisWeek.com|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref> Due to this agreement, the league plays under the standard FIBA rules.<ref name=":0" />
In January 2019, the CEBL announced a three-year agreement with Spalding to be the official ball of the league.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fraservalleynewsnetwork.com/2019/01/15/cebl-and-spalding-announce-three-year-partnership-agreement-video/|title=CEBL And Spalding Announce Three Year Partnership Agreement (VIDEO)|work=FVN|last=Lehn|first=Don|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref>
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CEBL season was postponed, and conducted as a shortened tournament in a bio-secure bubble behind closed doors, branded as the ''CEBL Summer Series''.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-06-25 |title=CEBL confirms July restart with tournament in St. Catharines |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-july-tournament-st-catharines-1.5626565 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625164040/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-july-tournament-st-catharines-1.5626565 |archive-date=2020-06-25 |access-date=2020-06-25 |website=CBC Sports}}</ref> Beginning in the 2020 season, the CEBL adopted the Elam Ending—as recently popularized by The Basketball Tournament and the NBA All-Star Game—for all games, under which the game clock is turned off near the end of the fourth quarter, and teams play to a target score to determine the winner.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-09 |title=CEBL hopes target-score finish will create heroes every game |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-summer-series-elam-ending-1.5642992 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710045218/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-summer-series-elam-ending-1.5642992 |archive-date=2020-07-10 |access-date=2021-08-14 |website=CBC Sports}}</ref>
In the 2021–22 season, the Edmonton Stingers represented Canada in the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Edmonton Stingers To Represent Canada In International BCLA |url=https://www.cebl.ca/cebl-s-edmonton-stingers-to-represent-canada-in-international-bcla-competition |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=www.cebl.ca |language=en}}</ref>
=== Expansion === In November 2019, the Ottawa BlackJacks were announced as the league's first expansion team, and seventh overall, beginning in the 2020 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6195970/canadian-elite-basketball-league-ottawa/|title=Canadian Elite Basketball League to launch Ottawa franchise|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref>
In February 2021, Morreale announced that an expansion team in Montreal would be added no earlier than the 2022 season; due to COVID-19, no new expansion teams were added for the 2021 season.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 February 2021 |title=CEBL headed to Montreal, expansion team to come in 2022 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-expansion-to-montreal-in-2022-1.5902356 |access-date=27 November 2021 |website=CBC Sports}}</ref> Later in 2021, the Scarborough Shooting Stars,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scarborough Shooting Stars owners hope new CEBL team inspires next generation - Sportsnet.ca |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/article/scarborough-shooting-stars-owners-hope-new-cebl-team-inspires-next-generation/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=www.sportsnet.ca}}</ref> the Montreal Alliance,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Montreal Alliance hopes to ride pro basketball momentum in Quebec |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/basketball/montreal-alliance-hopes-to-ride-pro-basketball-momentum-in-quebec |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=montrealgazette |language=en-CA}}</ref> and the Newfoundland Growlers<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 26, 2021 |title=Meet Newfoundland's new pro basketball team, the … Growlers? Yep, the Growlers |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/newfoundland-growlers-basketball-cebl-1.6264009 |website=CBC.ca}}</ref> were all announced as expansion teams for the 2022 season.
In November 2022, the league announced that the Winnipeg Sea Bears would join the CEBL in the 2023 season, while the Newfoundland Growlers would be suspending operations. In August 2022, the league announced that the Guelph Nighthawks would be relocating to Calgary, Alberta as the Calgary Surge.
In August 2023, the CEBL Clash was played at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. It was an all-star game between top players from the Eastern and Western Conferences. The event was done in partnership with Gestev, a subsidiary of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group. Upon announcing the CEBL Clash, it was confirmed that Gestev is seriously considering support for an expansion team in Quebec City for 2024 based on the success of the event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2023 |title=Canadian Elite Basketball League's brightest stars to shine in the CEBL Clash in Québec City |url=https://www.cebl.ca/canadian-elite-basketball-leagues-brightest-stars-to-shine-in-the-cebl-clash-in-quebec-city |access-date=29 October 2023 |website=Canadian Elite Basketball League}}</ref> The CEBL Clash attracted over 7,000 spectators.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2023 |title=Western Conference Edges East 107-102 in Inaugural CEBL Clash |url=https://www.cebl.ca/western-conference-edges-east-107-102-in-inaugural-cebl-clash |access-date=29 October 2023 |website=Canadian Elite Basketball League}}</ref> Another team in the West will join along with the unnamed Quebec City team to keep the conferences balanced.<ref name="McGaughey">{{Cite web |last=McGaughey |first=Paul |date=1 January 2024 |title=CEBL has Bigger, Bolder Vision with More Teams on the Way |url=https://www.cebl.ca/cebl-has-bigger-bolder-vision-with-more-teams-on-the-way |access-date=1 January 2024 |website=Canadian Elite Basketball League}}</ref>
=== Outdoors === On May 23, 2025, the Montreal Alliance hosted the Ottawa BlackJacks in a CEBL game outdoors at IGA Stadium. According to the league, "It will be the first professional five-on-five basketball game held outdoors in Canadian history."<ref>{{cite news |title=Montreal to host Ottawa in outdoor Canadian Elite Basketball League game in May |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/canadian-elite-basketball-league-outdoor-game-montreal-1.7491664 |work=CBC.ca |agency=The Canadian Press |date=March 24, 2025 |access-date=March 28, 2025}}</ref>
== Game format == CEBL games are five-on-five in four quarters of ten minutes each.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-07-20 |title=Calgary Surge clinch playoff berth with victory over Montreal Alliance |url=https://www.tsn.ca/calgary-surge-clinch-playoff-berth-with-victory-over-montreal-alliance-1.2150019 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=TSN |language=en-CA}}</ref>
Beginning in 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dichter |first=Myles |date=July 9, 2020 |title=CEBL hopes target-score finish will create heroes every game |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl/cebl-summer-series-elam-ending-1.5642992 |access-date=July 20, 2024 |website=CBC Sports}}</ref> the league implemented an Elam Ending system: after the first time stoppage in the last four minutes of the final quarter, the game clock is turned off and the target score is set at 9 more than the current leading score. For example, if the score was 110-105, then the target score is 119 and the first team to reach that wins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CEBL - Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.cebl.ca/faq |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=www.cebl.ca |language=en}}</ref>
== Teams == === Current teams === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left" |+Overview of Canadian Elite Basketball League teams !scope="col"|Conference !scope="col"|Team !scope="col"|City !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Capacity !scope="col"|Founded !scope="col"|First season !scope="col"|Head coach |- |rowspan="5" style="color:#E4D96F; background-color:#000080"|'''Eastern Conference''' |scope="row"|Brampton Honey Badgers |Brampton, Ontario |CAA Centre |align=center| 5,000 |align=center|2018 |align=center|2023 |Alex Cerda |- |scope="row"|Montreal Alliance |Montreal, Quebec |Verdun Auditorium |align=center|4,114 |align=center|2021 |align=center|2022 |Jermaine Small |- |scope="row"|Niagara River Lions |St. Catharines, Ontario |Meridian Centre |align=center|4,030 |align=center|2015 |align=center|2019 |Kimbal Mackenzie |- |scope="row"|Ottawa BlackJacks |Ottawa, Ontario |TD Place Arena |align=center|9,500 |align=center|2019 |align=center|2020 |Justin Mazzulla |- |scope="row"|Scarborough Shooting Stars |Toronto, Ontario |Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre |align=center|2,000 |align=center|2021 |align=center|2022 |Mike De Giorgio |- |rowspan="5" style="color:#E4D96F; background-color:#800000"|'''Western Conference''' |scope="row"|Calgary Surge |Calgary, Alberta |Winsport Arena |align=center|2,900 |align=center|2018 |align=center|2023 |Perry Huang |- |scope="row"|Edmonton Stingers |Edmonton, Alberta |Edmonton Expo Centre |align=center|4,857 |align=center|2018 |align=center|2019 |Jordan Baker |- |scope="row"|Saskatoon Mamba |Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |SaskTel Centre/Merlis Belsher Place |align=center|5,898, 2,700 |align=center|2018 |align=center|2019 |Vacant |- |scope="row"|Vancouver Bandits |Langley, British Columbia |Langley Events Centre | align="center" |5,276 | align="center" |2017 | align="center" |2019 |Kyle Julius |- |scope="row"|Winnipeg Sea Bears |Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada Life Centre | align="center" |15,321<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2400441 | title=CEBL Game Box Score - Canadian Elite Basketball League }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bernhardt |first=Darren |date=24 July 2024 |title=Winnipeg Sea Bears surge to playoff spot, smash league attendance record |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-sea-bears-basketball-attendance-playoffs-1.7273375 |website=CBCNEWS}}</ref> | align="center" |2022 | align="center" |2023 |Mike Raimbault |} {{Col-begin}} {{Col-2}} {{Location map+ |Canada |float=center |width=400 |caption=2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League teams <br /> 8px See Southern Ontario inset|places= {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=43.259167|long=-79.8725|mark=Black pog.svg}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=49.030665|long=-122.287145|position=top|label=Vancouver}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=53.568611|long=-113.458056|position=top|label=Edmonton}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=51.0447|long=-114.0719|position=bottom|label=Calgary}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=52.189|long=-106.679|label=Saskatoon}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=45.39889|long=-75.68412|position=left|label=Ottawa}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=45.46244|long=-73.56187|position=top|label=Montreal}} {{Location map~ |Canada |lat=49.8954|long=-97.1385|position=bottom|label=Winnipeg}} }}
{{Col-2}} {{Location map+ |Canada Southern Ontario|float=center |width=475 |caption=2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League teams within Southern Ontario|places= {{Location map~ |Canada Southern Ontario|lat=45.39889|long=-75.68412|position=bottom|label=Ottawa|background=#ffe}} {{Location map~ |Canada Southern Ontario|lat=43.15582|long=-79.244222|position=bottom|label=Niagara|background=#ffe}} {{Location map~ |Canada Southern Ontario|lat=43.66741|long=-79.70860|position=left|label=Brampton|background=#ffe}} {{Location map~ |Canada Southern Ontario|lat=43.79033|long=-79.19330|position=right|label=Scarborough|background=#ffe}} }} {{Col-end}}
=== Former teams === {| class="wikitable" |+Former Canadian Elite Basketball League teams !scope="col"|Team !scope="col"|City !scope="col"|Founded !scope="col"|First season !scope="col"|Last season !scope="col"|Defunct !scope="col"|Reason |- |scope="row"|Guelph Nighthawks |Guelph, Ontario |align=center|2018 |align=center|2019 |align=center|2022 |align=center|2022 |Relocated to Calgary after 2022 season |- |scope="row"|Newfoundland Growlers |St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |align=center|2021 |align=center|2022 |align=center|2022 |align=center|2022 |Folded after 2022 season |- |scope="row"|Hamilton Honey Badgers |Hamilton, Ontario |align=center|2018 |align=center|2019 |align=center|2022 |align=center|2022 |Relocated to Brampton after 2022 season |}
=== Timeline === <timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:20 top:20 Period = from:2018 till:2026 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors = id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:notpro value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) id:future value:rgb(0.52,0.80,0.80)
id:Niagara value:rgb(0.42,0.72,0.20) id:Edmonton value:rgb(0.09,0.11,0.24) id:FraserValley value:rgb(0.91,0.21,0.08) id:Guelph value:rgb(0,0.36,0.56) id:Calgary value:rgb(0.82,0,0.11) id:Hamilton value:rgb(0.96,0.80,0.25) id:Saskatchewan value:rgb(0.92,0.76,0.61) id:Ottawa value:rgb(0.39,0.39,0.42) id:Montreal value:rgb(0.45,0.65,0.83) id:Scarborough value:rgb(0.18,0.16,0.15) id:Newfoundland value:rgb(0.68,0.58,0.40) id:Winnipeg value:rgb(0,0.68,0.68)
ScaleMajor = start:2018 increment:1 gridcolor:majorGridColor
LineData = at:2019 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #First CEBL season
# – Text Positions
Define $Up = shift:(,1) Define $Center = anchor:from align:left shift:(300,) Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(35,) Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1) Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,) Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,) Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-0,) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1) Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1) Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1) Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10) Define $Down = shift:(,-7) Define $Downx2 = shift:(,-20) Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10) Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,-10) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"•" $t:white fontsize:XL shift:(-20,-10) Define $I = text:"(I)"
TextData = pos:(25,100) textcolor:black fontsize:M tabs:(40-left) text:"NBLC^National Basketball League of Canada" text:"•^Championship season"
BarData = bar:Niagara bar:Edmonton bar:FraserValley bar:Guelph bar:Hamilton bar:Saskatchewan bar:Ottawa bar:Montreal bar:Scarborough bar:Newfoundland bar:Winnipeg
PlotData = color:notpro $t:black width:20 fontsize:M mark:(line, black) anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till align:center # other options are align:left align:right shift:(0,-7)
bar:Niagara from:2018 till:2019 text:"(NBLC)" bar:Niagara from:2019 till:end color:Niagara $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Niagara River Lions" bar:Niagara at:2025 $champ mark:(line,Niagara) bar:Niagara at:2026 $champ mark:(line,Niagara)
bar:Edmonton from:2019 till:end color:Edmonton $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Edmonton Stingers" bar:Edmonton at:2021 $champ mark:(line,Edmonton) bar:Edmonton at:2022 $champ mark:(line,Edmonton)
bar:FraserValley from:2019 till:2023 color:FraserValley $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Fraser Valley Bandits" bar:FraserValley from:2023 till:end color:FraserValley $t:White $LeftMargin text:"Vancouver Bandits"
bar:Guelph from:2019 till:2023 color:Guelph $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Guelph Nighthawks" bar:Guelph from:2023 till:end color:Calgary $t:White $LeftMargin text:"Calgary Surge" bar:Hamilton from:2019 till:2023 color:Hamilton $t:black $LeftMargin text:"Hamilton Honey Badgers" bar:Hamilton from:2023 till:end color:Hamilton $t:black $LeftMargin text:"Brampton Honey Badgers" bar:Hamilton at:2023 $champ mark:(line,Hamilton)
bar:Saskatchewan from:2019 till:end color:Saskatchewan $t:black $LeftMargin text:"Saskatchewan Rattlers" bar:Saskatchewan at:2020 $champ mark:(line,Saskatchewan)
bar:Ottawa from:2020 till:end color:Ottawa $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Ottawa Blackjacks" bar:Montreal from:2022 till:end color:Montreal $t:black $LeftMargin text:"Montreal Alliance"
bar:Scarborough from:2022 till:end color:Scarborough $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Scarborough Shooting Stars" bar:Scarborough at:2024 $champ mark:(line,Scarborough) bar:Newfoundland from:2022 till:2023 color:Newfoundland $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Newfoundland Growlers" bar:Winnipeg from:2023 till:end color:Winnipeg $t:white $LeftMargin text:"Winnipeg Sea Bears"
</timeline>
== Championships == {{see also|CEBL Championship Weekend}} {| class="wikitable" |+CEBL champions |- !scope="col"| Season !scope="col"| Champion !scope="col"| Runner-up |- |scope="row"|2019 |Saskatchewan Rattlers |Hamilton Honey Badgers |- |scope="row"|2020 |Edmonton Stingers |Fraser Valley Bandits |- |scope="row"|2021 |Edmonton Stingers |Niagara River Lions |- |scope="row"|2022 |Hamilton Honey Badgers |Scarborough Shooting Stars |- |scope="row"|2023 |Scarborough Shooting Stars |Calgary Surge |- |2024 |Niagara River Lions |Vancouver Bandits |- |2025 |Niagara River Lions |Calgary Surge |}
== Organization == === Executives === {{As of|April 2025}}, league executives include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cebl.ca/about|title=THIS IS CEBL|website=Canadian Elite Basketball League|access-date=December 26, 2019}}</ref> * Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder * John Lashway, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Communications * Josh Knoester, Chief Operating Officer * Joe Raso, Senior Director of Basketball Operations
=== Players === The CEBL's main focus will be on showcasing and developing Canadian talent in basketball:<ref name="cbc-cebl" /> at least 70% of each team's roster must consist of Canadian players.<ref name=":0" /> As it will be played over the spring and summer months, the CEBL also sought to attract players wanting to continue developing their game over the traditional offseason period.<ref name="cbc-cebl" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.langleyadvancetimes.com/marketplace/fraser-valley-bandits-bringing-pro-basketball-to-the-abbotsford-centre/|title=Fraser Valley Bandits bringing pro basketball to the Abbotsford Centre|date=26 November 2018|website=Langley Advance Times|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> Players were expected to be drawn from collegiate alumni (including U Sports and U.S. NCAA basketball), players with experience in other international leagues, as well as members of the Canadian national team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/sports/local-sports/saskatchewan-rattlers-inaugural-coach-greg-jockims-couldnt-resist-new-opportunity|title='I still have a lot left in the tank to coach': Ex-Huskies coach Greg Jockims named GM-coach of Saskatchewan Rattlers|last=Zary|first=Darren|date=2019-01-24|website=Saskatoon StarPhoenix|language=en|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theobserver.ca/sports/local-sports/honey-badgers-choose-rocca-in-first-cebl-draft|title=Honey Badgers choose Rocca in first CEBL draft|last1=March 25|first1=Mark|last2=Malone|date=2019-03-25|website=The Observer|language=en|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref>
The salary cap is $8,000 to $9,000 per team per game.
=== Broadcasting === During the first season, games were primarily streamed on an in-house platform known as CEBL.tv; the league stated that it would provide the necessary means for each team to produce "a really good official and professional looking live stream that we can share without any kind of limitations to who can see it." The league considered the possibility of selling television rights to its championship to a traditional broadcaster.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ca.nba.com/news/canadian-round-up-canadians-go-head-to-head-in-the-wnbl-finals-sgas-home-debut-and-a-chat-with-the-ceo-of-the-cebl/1lha8komk97ov1r559rfvabzgi|title=Canadian Round-Up: Canadians go head-to-head in the WNBL Finals, SGA's home debut and a chat with the CEO of the CEBL|website=NBA CA|date=7 February 2019 |publisher=Turner Sports|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> On June 12, 2019, the CEBL announced that CBC Sports would stream all remaining games of the inaugural season on its digital platforms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/sports-story/9431315-cebl-games-will-be-live-streamed-on-cbc/|title=CEBL games will be live-streamed on CBC|date=2019-06-11|website=StCatharinesStandard.ca|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-06-12}}</ref> It subsequently announced in November 2019 that CBC Sports had agreed to a three-year deal, which will also see eight games (seven regular-season games and the championship game) per-season aired on CBC Television.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pentictonherald.ca/sports/national_sports/article_925861fe-8172-5448-9215-eafdb0b76849.html|title=Year-old Canadian Elite Basketball League signs broadcast deal with CBC|website=Penticton Herald|date=26 November 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-12-19}}</ref> In 2021 the league launched its CEBL+ streaming service. All games are streamed through the platform, with games in Canada streamed for free.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cebl.ca/news/canadian-elite-basketball-league-launches-ott-service-cebl--|title=Canadian Elite Basketball League Launches OTT Service, CEBL+|website=cebl.ca|date=14 June 2021}}</ref>
For the 2020 season, the CEBL also began streaming games on Twitch. On August 7, the CEBL and Mediapro announced new rights deals in the Asia-Pacific and Oceania regions, such as Astro (Malaysia), Fox Sports Australia, SingTel, Sportscast (Taiwan), and TapGo (Philippines).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-07|title=Mediapro secures five CEBL deals in APAC region ahead of finals weekend|url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/mediapro-secures-five-cebl-deals-in-apac-region-ahead-of-finals-weekend/|access-date=2020-08-09|website=SportBusiness|language=en-US}}</ref>
A feature-length documentary about the 2020 "Summer Series", produced by Ward 1 Studios, was broadcast May 29, 2021 on CBC.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-05-29|title=Canadian Elite Basketball League's bubble season featured in new documentary|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/guelph-documentary-canadian-elite-basketball-league-1.6041056|access-date=2021-05-29}}</ref>
Ahead of the 2023 season, the CEBL announced a broadcast rights agreement with Bell Media. Games aired on TSN in English and RDS in French, with a "game of the week" package on TSN throughout the season, RDS particularly carrying Montreal Alliance games, and all games streaming on TSN+.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-05-16 |title=TSN+ to Showcase All 2023 CEBL Games Live Starting May 24 |work=CEBL.ca |url=https://www.cebl.ca/tsn--to-showcase-all-2023-cebl-games-live-starting-may-24 |access-date=2023-05-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Canadian Elite Basketball League Announces Television Deal with TSN for 2023 Season |url=https://www.complex.com/sports/cebl-announces-tsn-deal |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Complex |language=en}}</ref>
On March 3, 2026, the CEBL announced that the CBC would again be the leagues broadcast partner for 2026–2030. Select games would be shown on CBC Television, and all games would be carried on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports channel on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |title= CBC Sports reunites with Canadian Elite Basketball League, striking 5-year partnership |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/cebl-cbc-sports-five-year-partnership-broadcast-basketball-9.7112075}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://www.cebl.ca/}} * [https://www.basketball.ca/ Canada Basketball]
{{Canadian Elite Basketball League|state=expanded}} {{Men's professional basketball leagues}} {{Professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada}} {{Sports leagues of Canada}} {{authority control}}
Category:Canadian Elite Basketball League Category:Basketball leagues in Canada Category:2017 establishments in Canada Category:Companies based in Ontario Category:Sports leagues established in 2017 Category:Professional sports leagues in Canada Canada