EuroLeague Says It Will Compete If NBA Europe Deal Falls Through
The league says binding franchise offers and broadcast deals let it press a 24‑team franchise plan while the NBA advances a separate 16‑team NBA Europe project.
Overview
- EuroLeague chief Chus Bueno told Reuters that the league is prepared to run its own pan‑European competition if a partnership with the NBA is not mutually beneficial.
- EuroLeague says it holds 12 binding franchise proposals worth a little over €800 million and has signed sponsorship and TV deals that support expansion to 24 teams for 2027‑28.
- The NBA is continuing its parallel push for a 16‑team NBA Europe model with reports of high‑value city bids often in the $500 million to $1 billion range.
- Both organisations say they will keep developing their separate plans if talks fail, a split that industry observers warn could fragment media rights, sponsorship income and fan attention across Europe.
- A likely consequence is that top European players may be drawn to NBA Europe by higher pay and brand power, which could reshape club rosters, local fan ties and commercial value in the region.