Overview
- Final bids submitted at the end of June and reported June 30 showed offers of at least $500 million for each of the 12 target cities, with several bids topping $1 billion and more than 20 clubs and investor groups entering the process.
- The NBA and FIBA are proposing a 16-team competition that would feature 12 permanent franchises and four rotating or qualification slots and target an October 2027 launch, with participating teams to be disclosed on a rolling basis after board ratification.
- Reported commercial terms would have the NBA fund early losses, split initial equity 50/50 between existing NBA owners and the 12 franchise owners, and aim for permanent clubs to break even by year three, while a single outlet’s report of more than $10 billion in decade‑long distributions remains unconfirmed.
- Bidders include established basketball and soccer clubs — including current EuroLeague teams — and ownership groups with former NBA owners, and some EuroLeague contracts reportedly contain exit clauses that could allow migration to the new league.
- If approved, the project would centralize new revenue streams, allow team-specific kit and local media deals, and likely reshape European club competition so watchers should track board decisions and the first rolling partner announcements for near‑term impact on clubs, fans and domestic leagues.