The VTB United League Final Four will be held in Moscow at the VTB Ice Palace from June 8-10.
Tickets go on sale April 23 at Kassir.ru.
The League’s top eight regular season teams will advance to the playoffs, which opens on May 23 with a best-of-five quarterfinal round. The quarterfinals feature a 1-2-2 format with the higher-seeded team opening at home. The four quarterfinals winners advance to the Final Four.
VTB United League general director Ilona Korstin:
– The Final Four is a big event for the VTB League. The League championship, Russian championship and a EuroLeague berth are all up for grabs. The Final Four will feature not only the top teams in the United League, but also Europe, given our clubs are highly-ranked in the European cups and in contention for multiple championships.
It should be pointed out that the Final Four is more than a sports event. Our goal is to create an appealing marketing product, attract sponsors, earn profit from ticket sales and bring in fans.
By our estimates, the VTB Ice Palace, when reconfigured for basketball, will hold 12,500 seats. Part of the tickets will go on sale April 23, while some will be reserved for fans of the teams that qualify for the Final Four.
We’ll only be able to evaluate the new format’s success from a competitive and economic perspective once it is over. But I can already tell you that the Final Four will introduce more excitement, which will increase fan interest in our League and attract a wider TV audience.
