Taiwan's PLG and T1 League: Competition and Coexistence in the Dual-League Era

Introduction

Taiwanese professional basketball once saw a unique phenomenon — two professional leagues operating at the same time. The P.LEAGUE+ (founded 2020) and the T1 League (founded 2021) coexisted, creating a “dual-league era.” This is quite rare in professional basketball worldwide.

This article analyzes how the dual-league situation came about, the competitive-cooperative relationship between the two leagues, and possible directions for future integration.

Background of the Two Leagues

After the P.LEAGUE+ was founded in 2020, some corporate backers felt the cost of joining was too high and the rules unfavorable, so in 2021 they struck out on their own and founded the T1 League. Put simply, this was a “battle between corporations over professional league control.”

Comparing the Two Leagues

Item	P.LEAGUE+	T1 League
Founded	2020	2021
Key driver	Chen Chien-chou (Blackie Chen)	Chien Wei-chuan (Mickey) and others
Founding teams	4	5
Home markets	New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Changhua	Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Taipei, New Taipei
Positioning	Cross-industry entertainment	Rooted in local communities
Player salaries	Higher (including stars like Jeremy Lin)	Mid-to-high
International exposure	Higher	Lower

Characteristics of the T1 League

• Southern Taiwan footprint: Kaohsiung Aquas and Tainan TSG GhostHawks are core franchises
• Female leadership: Chien Wei-chuan, a former national team guard, brings a distinctive perspective
• Rule innovation: Experimenting with new formats to attract fans
• Player freedom: Relatively fewer restrictions compared to the P.LEAGUE+

Problems of the Dual-League Era

1. Market fragmentation

• Fans are forced to pick a side or follow both leagues at once
• Media resources are spread thin
• Sponsors are forced to choose

2. Restricted player movement

• The two leagues have different free-agency rules
• Player transfers can involve complicated negotiations
• When assembling the national team, players come from different leagues, making cohesion difficult

3. Reduced commercial returns

• Overlapping game days compete for the same audience
• Advertising revenue is split
• International exposure is diluted

Calls for Integration

Basketball insiders, fans, and even players have all called for the two leagues to merge:

• Since 2022: Reports of integration talks have surfaced
• 2023-24: Representatives from both leagues have held multiple discussions
• Player voices: Many players have publicly supported a merger
• Government stance: The Sports Administration hopes for integration but will not mandate it

Disbanded and Restructured Teams

A side effect of the dual-league era is that some teams have been unable to sustain the financial pressure of operations:

• Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers (disbanded)
• New Taipei CTBC DEA (disbanded)
• Taoyuan Leopards (disbanded or restructured)

These events have accelerated the consensus that “the market cannot support two leagues.”

Impact on Taiwanese Basketball

Positive

• Provides more job opportunities for players
• Drives professionalization and higher salaries
• Increased game density gives fans more choices

Negative

• Overall quality is diluted
• Fan base is split
• National team training is affected

Future Outlook

The general consensus in the industry is:

• Short term: The two leagues may continue to coexist for another 1-3 years
• Medium term: Some teams will consolidate, leaving 6-8 teams
• Long term: The ideal outcome is a merger into a single top-tier league, similar to the pyramid structure of Japan’s B.League

Practical Tips

• Both leagues are worth following — player quality has bright spots in each
• Support the team from your area (for example, Kaohsiung fans root for the Aquas, Hsinchu fans for their local P.LEAGUE+ team)
• Check schedules before watching to avoid missing good games due to overlapping fixtures between the two leagues
• Keep an eye on merger developments — major changes may be coming

Conclusion

The coexistence of two leagues has been a distinctive stage in the development of Taiwanese professional basketball. It has created more opportunities, but also brought division and internal friction. For fans, these have been the “most exciting” yet “most chaotic” years. Looking ahead, integration is the inevitable direction — the only question is timing. When that day comes, Taiwanese basketball will enter a truly mature professional era — and what we are experiencing now is a historical witness to this transitional period.

Related Reading

• Taiwan’s P.LEAGUE+ Professional Basketball: Cross-Industry Stars and Commercial Innovation
• The Rise and Fall of Taiwan’s SBL System Basketball: 20 Years of Professionalization Attempts
• Japan’s B.League Dual-Track Development: A Successful Model of Student and Professional Basketball Coexisting
• The Ecosystem of Taiwan’s HBL High School League: A Battleground for Youth and a Cradle of Dreams