Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands & TNT Sports' DUNKMAN to Expand in 2027, Introducing Team Competitions, Junior Division & Global Regional Qualifiers Series

World's First Professional Dunk League Delivers Significant Audiences Across Platforms in Year 1 with More Than 1.5 Billion Social Media Video Views, 33 Million Engagements & 5.7 Million Total Viewers on TNT

Following a breakout inaugural season, Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) and TNT Sports' DUNKMAN, the world's first professional dunk league, will officially return in 2027, highlighted by an expanded slate of premium events.

"The debut of DUNKMAN proved what I already knew: these athletes are superstars, and dunking is a professional sport," said O'Neal, DUNKMAN's founder and commissioner. "Next year we're going bigger. More cities, more countries, team battles and a junior division for the next generation. We're building the future of the sport."

The DUNKMAN season will return during the same window next summer. Prior to, the league will stage a series of regional qualifier events, domestically and internationally, giving the next wave of dunkers from around the world the opportunity to earn a place in the professional league.

Each qualifier will feature an open-competition format in which aspiring dunkers will compete before an expert judging panel, with standout performers earning the chance to advance to the professional ranks. Planned qualifier events will be announced at a later date.

In addition, DUNKMAN will also introduce two new competitive formats:

Team Competitions: dunkers will compete in team-based events for the first time;

Junior Division: a new division for athletes 15-and-under on nine-foot rims, developing the next generation of professional dunkers

DUNKMAN's inaugural season, presented by Lily, transformed dunking from a one-night contest into a fully realized professional sports league. Twenty-four of the world's best dunkers competed across four live Group Stage events on TNT Sports, culminating in the DUNKMAN World Championship, where Dallas native Cam Hazzard was crowned the first-ever DUNKMAN World Champion and claimed the $500,000 grand prize.

The league's debut season garnered significant results, including 1.5 billion+ social views; 33 million+ engagements across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube

DUNKMAN was #1 trending topic on China's Douyin during Championship

94% of social views came from non-followers

5.7 million total viewers watched DUNKMAN throughout the first season on TNT Sports

Authentic Brands Group, the global brand development and licensing powerhouse, saw in Shaquille O'Neal's DUNKMAN the foundation for something bigger than a single dunk contest: a full-fledged league built to extend across live entertainment, hospitality, retail and premium content.

"Season 1 of DUNKMAN established dunking as a professional sport. Season 2 and beyond will continue to build a global league and platform through team competitions, a junior division and a global qualifier series that puts DUNKMAN in new markets year-round. We are in the early stages of what this property will become," said Colin Smeeton, President of Authentic Studios.

DUNKMAN is designed to elevate the sport of dunking with structure, storytelling, stakes, and world-class competition. The league's Olympic-level scoring system sets the modern standard for professional dunking, with a panel of expert judges evaluating each dunk attempt to determine which dunkers advance through the Group Stages and who is ultimately crowned DUNKMAN World Champion. Additional content is published across DUNKMAN social channels, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and YouTube.

"In the first Championship, DUNKMAN experienced unprecedented engagement and undeniably positive sentiment - it's a true 21st century sports property," said Craig Barry, Chief Content Officer, TNT Sports. "Year two, with a longer runway and more opportunities, there's much more to come."

TNT Sports is a co-creator and equity partner in the DUNKMAN League.

Additional future programming details, including the full schedule, athlete reveals, ticket on-sale dates and broadcast information, will be announced in the coming months. Fans can follow the league at www.dunkman.com and across DUNKMAN social channels @dunkmanofficial.