Richard Brown’s Passenger and Fremantle have announced that “Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League” has secured key North American distribution partners ahead of its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. The four-part documentary, selected as part of TIFF’s Primetime lineup, has been acquired by ESPN for exclusive U.S. rights, while Bell Media has taken Canadian rights, with the series to stream on Crave and TSN. Fremantle is managing global distribution, positioning the project for wide international exposure.
“Origin” chronicles the creation and launch of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America. Developed in partnership with FIBA, the BAL features 12 elite club teams from across Africa’s 54 nations, competing in a caravan format. The documentary captures the realization of a long-held vision spearheaded by Amadou Gallo Fall and Masai Ujiri, and follows the inaugural BAL season through the stories of players, coaches, and league architects as they strive to become the first-ever BAL champions.
Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the BAL, commented, “The BAL is the culmination of decades of work by the NBA and FIBA to grow basketball in Africa and give aspiring African players a predictable pathway to learn the game and maximize their potential. Through these agreements with ESPN and Bell Media, fans across North America will get a behind-the-scenes look at the BAL’s historic inaugural season and the impact that the league is having on lives, communities and economies across the continent.”
Richard Brown added, “As filmmakers, we were granted remarkable access to chronicle not only the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League itself, but the personal journeys of the competing players and coaches, as well as the visionaries who are building something historic. To have ESPN and Bell Media—two of the most respected and far-reaching platforms in North America—bring Origin to audiences is truly exciting. Their belief in this series ensures this series will have the visibility and impact we hoped for; these are stories of ambition, competition, resilience and transformation.”
Masai Ujiri said, “The story of Origin chronicles basketball’s power to unite, inspire, and transform communities. To see this documentary acquired by ESPN and Bell Media is a powerful affirmation of the incredible work being done by many to support and nurture young and upcoming talent across Africa. We are only at the beginning of telling Africa’s incredible story and its talent being celebrated by the world.”
“With strong connections to well-known basketball figures in Canada and Toronto, we know this documentary will appeal to Crave and TSN audiences who are looking for compelling, engaging, and inspiring content,” said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Content Development and Programming, Bell Media.
The series is executive produced, written, and co-directed by Richard Brown (“True Detective,” “Catch-22,” “Outlaw King”), alongside Masai Ujiri, Akin Omotoso (“Rise”), and Fisher Stevens (“Beckham”), with Tebogo Malope serving as co-director. Produced by Passenger and Fremantle, “Origin” explores not only the athletic competition, but also the league’s potential to drive economic opportunity and cultural connection across Africa.
The documentary showcases the diversity and unity of African nations including Mozambique, Angola, Senegal, Rwanda, Egypt, and Morocco, highlighting how basketball bridges communities across the continent’s cultural and linguistic divides. It also examines the BAL’s role as a cross-continental link between Africa and North America, opening up reciprocal opportunities in sports, business, and talent development.
The film features a high-profile lineup of contributors, including President Barack Obama, a strategic partner of NBA Africa; Masai Ujiri, co-founder of Giants of Africa and former Toronto Raptors President; Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the BAL; NBA stars Joakim Noah, Stephen Curry, and Pascal Siakam; Grammy-winning artist and BAL player J. Cole; NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo; and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Following its TIFF premiere, “Origin” will be the subject of a panel discussion featuring Richard Brown, Masai Ujiri, Amadou Gallo Fall, Joakim Noah, and Akin Omotoso. The session will explore the documentary’s broader impact and the BAL’s role in fostering trans-Atlantic partnerships and developing African basketball talent.