Euroleague reportedly moves to franchises and declines NBA offer
- Euroleague shareholder clubs voted at a meeting in Italy to move from a licensing model to franchises while declining an offer to collaborate with the National Basketball Association,...
- According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the NBA made its collaboration proposal conditional on Euroleague dropping plans to create franchises and expand its competition to 24 teams.
- That timeline has created a direct collision course between the two organizations.
Euroleague shareholder clubs voted at a meeting in Italy to move from a licensing model to franchises while declining an offer to collaborate with the National Basketball Association, according to reports.
Why did Euroleague reject the NBA offer for a joint competition?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the NBA made its collaboration proposal conditional on Euroleague dropping plans to create franchises and expand its competition to 24 teams. The United States-based league aims to launch its own 16-team European competition in October 2027 with support from the International Basketball Federation.
That timeline has created a direct collision course between the two organizations. Even so, The Athletic reported that Euroleague officials remain open to further dialogue with the NBA despite rejecting the initial terms.
How will the new Euroleague franchise model operate?
The pancontinental competition features 20 teams each season, with 13 permanent members currently holding ten-year A-licences that grant them a majority stake in commercial arm Euroleague Commercial Assets. Over the summer, ECA developed a concept to convert those licences into permanent franchises valued individually between €60 million and €320 million.
Chief Executive Jesus ‘Chus’ Bueno stated that deals were already in place to convert the A-licence clubs during the 2026/27 campaign on a discounted first-refusal basis. Euroleague told Reuters last week that it had received 14 bids for those holdings, totaling over €800 million in franchise fees.
What are the plans for NBA Europe?
The NBA outlined a 16-team league featuring 12 permanent franchise members alongside qualifiers from domestic competitions and the Fiba Basketball Champions League. Preferred host cities include Paris, Lyon, London, Manchester, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, Milan, Munich, and Berlin.
The project has drawn interest from over 120 ownership groups with fees sometimes exceeding US$1 billion. Prospective investors include continental soccer heavyweights, with Qatar Sports Investments confirming in March that it is among the bidders.
When will NBA Europe launch?
The NBA has maintained an October 2027 tip-off for its new competition, though an unamed source from a likely NBA franchise told The Athletic that the target date is impossible unless Euroleague joins the project. George Aivazoglou, the managing director of NBA Europe and Middle East, is scheduled to appear at a London sports business conference to share progress on the league’s shape and react to Euroleague’s meeting in Italy.