The presence of FIBA at the SPOBIS Conference 2026 in Hamburg made it clear that the growth of women’s basketball in Germany is not a passing trend, but part of a strategy that connects sport, culture, and business. In a space that brings together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers, the international federation placed the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin at the center of the conversation as a symbol of a deeper transformation taking place across German sport.
SPOBIS provided the ideal stage to show how the rise of women’s basketball interacts with new dynamics in media, marketing, technology, and sustainability. There, women’s sport was no longer presented as a niche, but as a real driver of development, capable of attracting new audiences, generating commercial value, and strengthening the cultural identity of a nation that has begun to establish itself as a basketball powerhouse.
A panel that connected the court, media, and management to explain the phenomenon
The panel titled “German Basketball: All in for Success!” brought together voices with complementary perspectives. Emily Bessoir, an emerging figure in the German national team with experience at UCLA and in the EuroCup Women, shared the stage with Sonja Greinacher, Olympic 3×3 champion, Andrew Ryan, Managing Director of FIBA Media, and Matthias Killing, presenter at ProSiebenSat.1 for FIBA events. The discussion helped explain the growth of German basketball from both inside and outside the court.
The players offered an intimate view of the sport’s growing visibility, the pressure of representing the country in a context of increased media exposure, and the pride of hosting a world-class tournament. This was reinforced by the key role of ProSiebenSat.1, which since 2025 has held free-to-air broadcast rights for national team basketball, strengthening its partnership with FIBA and expanding the reach of women’s sport to new audiences.
“Berlin Awaits”: urban identity and empowerment through women’s sport
The conference also marked the starting point of the “Berlin Awaits” campaign, designed as a platform to promote both the women’s national team and the artistic, underground identity of the German capital. The initiative links women’s basketball with urban culture, diversity, and the vibrant character of the city, projecting a distinct narrative for the tournament.
Leonie Fiebich, Marie Gülich, and Luisa Geiselsöder joined the campaign alongside figures from other disciplines, such as boxer Zeina Nassar, B-Girl Jilou, and former handball player Stefan Kretzschmar, all advocates for women’s sport. This message of cross-discipline solidarity and athlete empowerment was also tangible for SPOBIS attendees, who were able to see the World Cup trophy at the FIBA stand, offering a preview of the magnitude of the event that will take place in Berlin from September 4 to 13.
