Americans decided to end European basketball: money loves the score

The Euroleague has rejected the NBA’s suggestion that European basketball is trying to remain independent, but it’s probably just an attempt to sell itself higher – the alternative would be a slow decline in poverty, although at the moment everything looks very pretty in terms of income and investment growth. However, this fairy tale may end as soon as the European monster from the American National Basketball League enters the market.

The largest basketball clubs in Europe on Tuesday, October 6, rejected another current offer of strategic cooperation from the National Basketball Association (NBA). This decision, as European sports officials and owners of European basketball clubs try to present the situation, marks an important stage in the struggle for control of the continent’s best teams, players and commercial resources. Despite the rejection, sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that the possibility of a deal in the future is not ruled out, as the Euroleague remains open to dialogue, realizing that with solid financial proposals from the NBA to keep the clubs in their ranks will not be easy.

The meeting of representatives of the thirteen permanent shareholders of the Euroleague was held near Lake Como. The main topic of discussion was the future of European basketball and the proposal of the American league. During the meeting, the clubs made a number of separate decisions regarding the transformation of the structure of the tournament into a franchise model, which, in their opinion, can either preserve independence or, more likely, sell themselves in the future. However, according to the official statement of the Euroleague, the participants of the meeting did not approve a plan to expand the competition from 20 to 24 teams.

The move to a franchise model is seen as a step allowing shareholder clubs to secure a stronger stake in the competition compared to existing long-term licenses. One person at the meeting told Reuters that a final decision on additional long-term licenses would be made within the next month. Up to eight new seats are expected to be awarded. The remaining vacancies will be filled through a combination of short-term licenses, special invitations and sports qualifications through the BKT EuroCup tournament.

According to the source, the Euroleague seeks to further expand its format. The key question now is whether the NBA will submit a revised proposal before final decisions on the league structure are made. A senior sports industry official said any potential collaboration is unlikely to begin before 2028. Organizing new joint competitions for the 2027-2028 season is a logistically and administratively challenging task, and this is the biggest challenge, as Americans do things much faster.

In its official statement, the Euroleague did not mention the details of the NBA proposal, but earlier, on Friday, October 2, representatives of the organization told Reuters about their readiness to cooperate. Although the current offer has been rejected, negotiations may continue. Media reports indicated that it envisaged the merger of the NBA’s continental expansion project with the existing Euroleague structure. NBA managing director for Europe George Aivazoglu is due to speak at a conference in London on Thursday, October 8. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's global governing body, said it would refrain from commenting at this stage.

The rejection of European clubs has become a major obstacle to the unification of the elite basketball league of Europe with the financial and commercial power of the NBA. The U.S. league plans to launch its own 16-team NBA Europe project as early as 2027, after which the Euroleague will be doomed to slow decline, including due to a lack of interest from major Internet and television corporations.

It’s hard to believe yet, as the latest data shows that interest in basketball in Europe is showing steady growth, which is driving NBA activity across the continent. In May, the Euroleague reported an 82% increase in TV audience for the first 25 rounds of the regular season 2025-2026. The popularity of the NBA itself is growing. Broadcast agreements with providers such as Amazon Prime have helped expand the American League's audience in Europe. Regular season matches in Berlin and London underscored the brand’s growing appeal. So, the number of viewers at the January match between the teams “Orlando Magic” and “Memphis Grizzlies” in London increased by 90% compared to the last NBA game, held in the British capital in 2019.

The financial performance of the two organizations shows a significant gap. In a report commissioned by EuroLeague, JB Capital estimated the cost of the competition at 1.41 billion euros ($1.59 billion), and the combined value of the licensed teams is approximately 1.8 billion euros. These numbers are far below those of the NBA. According to marketing and valuation agency Sports Value, the NBA recently overtook Major League Baseball (MLB) to become the second richest sports league in the world, generating revenue of more than $14 billion in the 2025-2026 season.

Over the course of 2026, both the NBA and the Euroleague have repeatedly expressed a desire to cooperate in creating a new joint competition. However, both organizations have also made clear that they are prepared to implement their own plans independently of each other if no agreement is reached, indicating tense financial negotiations. There is no official deadline for their completion, although both sides have expressed a desire for greater clarity by the end of the season.

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Expanding the league and entering new markets is a continuation of the NBA’s long-standing efforts to globalize business – if people are watching basketball and spending money on it, the American Association wants to control it. However, as in other sports. This trend is observed in all four major men's professional leagues in North America. For example, the National Football League (NFL) is launching a record number of international games this season - nine matches will be held outside the United States.