Report: BIG3 Partners with 'Big Brother' Producers for Tournament Amid COVID-19

BIG3 is reportedly partnering with the producers of Big Brother to create a hybrid reality show and basketball tournament.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the BIG3/Endemol joint venture is tentatively being called Big Brother: BIG3, and it is scheduled to begin airing during the first week of May.

Haynes noted that players and referees will be tested for coronavirus, and once they are cleared, will live together in the same Los Angeles-area home. The show is expected to feature 16 players and a three-week basketball tournament.

BIG3 is a three-on-three basketball league that was founded by Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz in 2017. To date, three seasons of BIG3 basketball have been completed.

The league is full of former NBA stars, including Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Gilbert Arenas, Amar'e Stoudemire, Nate Robinson, Al Jefferson and many others.

Big Brother is among the most popular reality TV series of all time. The American version debuted in 2000, and it is still going strong after 21 seasons. Big Brother is also an international sensation, as the show has aired in countries all over the world.

Haynes noted that CBS would be a "logical" network to air Big Brother: BIG3 since it already airs Big Brother, but he added that another network is "aggressively" pursuing the show.

The current plan is reportedly for the reality show to become an annual thing for BIG3, with the preseason tournament being a strong lead-in to the regular season.

In an effort to further increase interest, there have reportedly been discussions about including some of the top women's players in the world on the show. Also, the player who wins the tournament will earn a "seven-figure cash prize," while the runner-up will receive a "substantial" cash prize as well.