One wildly successful weekend in Philadelphia has completely altered the trajectory of Unrivaled’s postseason, all thanks to a revenue breakthrough that league president Alex Bazzell is now leveraging into a major playoff pivot.

This marks a huge step toward more success for the 3×3 fast-paced basketball league, with the record-breaking Philadelphia tour stop paving a new way for Unrivaled to generate revenue.

According to Front Office Sports reporter Anna Costabile, the crowd-filled 76ers’ arena saw Unrivaled pocket $2 million in revenue. Costabile talked to Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell, who stated the same while also confirming the move to shift the semi-finals of the second season to Brooklyn in early March. The tickets are already on sale, with the semi-finals starting from March 2.

Bazzell also revealed to Costabile that they plan more stops in areas like NYC, LA, and Nashville, with the plan to increase the number of stops to at least 10 for the next iteration.

The playoffs for the 2026 season are set to happen in an 18,000-capacity arena, and it will be interesting to see if the league manages to sell out all the tickets on such short notice.

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The Philadelphia tour stop also helped the players showcase that fans are eager to watch Women’s Basketball, which could aid in a quicker resolution over the CBA terms. The moratorium and the lack of an agreement means the season could be delayed, which could end up generating less revenue for everyone involved in the WNBA.

Inside the League That is Giving Players More Than Just a Paycheck

Unrivaled Basketball began as an offseason tournament to help players continue their basketball within the United States while also providing the fans with more Women’s Basketball to watch. However, these current moves are surely going to affect the CBA negotiations.

The fact that players can own equity within Unrivaled Basketball, along with the average salary of over $222,000, means Unrivaled is no longer just an offseason event. It is a direct competitor to the WNBA in terms of the financial package it can provide while playing for a comparatively shorter time period.

Their most recent tour stop’s success yielded the league $2 million in revenue. But what is more important is Unrivaled’s entry into the usual basketball markets and its involvement with the WNBA arenas.

Alex Bazzell has highlighted that Unrivaled has no plans for expanding on its current schedule. But their plan to tap into the existing women’s basketball markets with multiple tour stops, and the latest move to take the postseason to Brooklyn, could set a dangerous precedent.

With Unrivaled nearly matching WNBA salaries and providing more power in terms of equity, along with a hefty prize purse, including events like the 1-on-1 Tournament and the Free Throw Challenge, means the WNBA now needs to provide a more lucrative package to the players.

The current CBA negotiations are slowly moving ahead after the latest WNBA proposal. However, Unrivaled’s newfound success could yet provide more momentum to the players’ union’s ask for a share of the gross revenue and a larger salary cap.