NBA commissioner Adam Silver has revealed that the top basketball league’s NBA Europe project is on course to launch in October 2027, with final bids for franchises due by the end of this month.
The NBA is working closely with international governing body FIBA on the project, and the pair have received strong interest from prospective teams and investors in their proposed new European league, with teams set to be awarded as early as later this year.
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Speaking to the media ahead of the opening game of the NBA Finals yesterday, Silver said: “We are very much on schedule. It is our hope and anticipation that the league will launch in the 2027-28 season in Europe. We are on track.”
Silver stated that the planned league is expected to feature 16 teams, including 12 permanent franchises and four additional spots available through a qualification process for clubs across Europe.
It is believed that more than 120 potential investors, including existing teams, outside investment groups, and high-net-worth individuals, have shown serious interest in the venture.
The NBA has received multiple bids in the $500 million to $1 billion range, including several above $1 billion. There is competition from a range of investors across the league's 12 target cities.
Those cities include London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Munich, Athens, and Istanbul. March 31 was the deadline for initial bids.
FIBA and the NBA outlined their plans for the NBA Europe project last December, with secretary general Andreas Zagklis earmarking October 2027 as a potential launch date and announcing the start of the search for teams and ownership groups.
The two parties first announced plans for a new 16-team European league in March 2025, with the new league crafted to fit around the existing European basketball calendar, ensuring sides can compete in both domestic and international competition, and that players can represent both their club and national teams freely.
Silver said the idea would be to mix established European teams with new sides, with the league initially being funded by the selected member clubs.
The NBA's push into Europe comes amid growing international influence on the league. Silver said roughly 15% of NBA players are European, including top stars like 22-year-old Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who is leading the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks in the Finals.
The proposed NBA Europe competition would enter a market currently dominated by the EuroLeague, which features most of the continent's top basketball teams, including Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and Barcelona.
Silver said discussions with EuroLeague were continuing and hopes to find a way to integrate operations with the existing competition. However, he made it clear that the NBA “will move forward either way.”
Since Chus Bueno became CEO of the EuroLeague, the competition’s stance toward the NBA has shifted significantly.
Bueno, who previously worked for many years with NBA Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, has strong relationships with NBA leadership, including Silver.
At his press conference yesterday, the commissioner also discussed the issue of whether current NBA players could invest in NBA Europe teams, saying that it remains unresolved and would need to be discussed with the National Basketball Players Association.
This comes after Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic formed part of an investment group trying to bring an NBA Europe team to Rome. Active NBA players are prohibited from owning NBA teams while playing in the league.
Silver said: “That has not been resolved yet. Part of the determination will be what the basketball relationship will be between these teams and NBA Europe and the NBA. That obviously could complicate things if current NBA players were owners.”
Doncic is part of a consortium that recently acquired Italian basketball side Guerino Vanoli Basket with the intent to relocate it to Rome as part of a push to participate in NBA Europe.
Meanwhile, YouTube TV has ended its eight-year title sponsorship of the season-ending NBA Finals.
The Google-owned streaming platform had served as the presenting sponsor of the NBA’s championship series since 2018.
The league confirmed that there will be no presenting sponsor for this year’s Finals after the conclusion of YouTube TV’s deal, marking the end of one of the most visible branding relationships in professional sports.
The streaming television service became the first company ever to secure presenting sponsorship rights for the NBA Finals.
The partnership extended beyond the Finals itself. It also included branding opportunities during the WNBA Finals and the NBA G League Finals, giving YouTube TV year-round visibility across multiple basketball properties.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals, without YouTube TV branding, took place last night, with the Knicks defeating the Spurs 105-95.
YouTube and the NBA will remain partners, with international games and NBA TV carried on the YouTube platform.
Read: Deep Dive: NBA Europe project gathers momentum
