Unrivaled capitalizes on underutilized 1v1 format through in-season tournament

The GIST: Unrivaled is leaning into its name with its inaugural 1v1 tournament, an uncommon format in pro basketball leagues like the WNBA and NBA. Although the idea of an in-season tournament and a casual 1v1 knockout tourney isn’t new, capitalizing on both concepts in a professional league is. Get your game on.

How it works: The four-day, 23-player competition tips off today, with seeding decided by fan vote. The Mist’s Jewell Loyd and the Vinyl’s Arike Ogunbowale earned first-round byes thanks to the fans, while the remaining 21 players will endure multiple rounds. The champion wins $200K from a $350K prize pool and the remaining money will be divided among participants.

The why: A popular basketball “what if,” 1v1 tourneys are easy to coordinate and feature unpredictable outcomes — even content creators have capitalized on the concept. Others have utilized a more structured format: Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady established Ones Basketball League in 2022, while Jordan Brand hosted The One tournament in Paris last year.

• Despite fan requests, the format has been absent from WNBA and NBA All-Star weekends, which makes Unrivaled’s offering even more enticing. Ball’s in her court.

Zooming out: Unrivaled’s numbers are holding up well in its first month, but it doesn’t hurt to have an in-season tournament, especially when the WNBA and NBA versions have done wonders for ratings. Offering unique in-season formats not only engages fans, but also creates opportunity for Unrivaled’s many sponsors.

• Sprite has already signed up as the tournament’s presenting sponsor, giving the beverage company an opportunity to stand out from the crowd of fellow Unrivaled partners all week long. Refreshing.