Euroleague Basketball, the organizer of top European club competitions, has officially launched its franchise process and already received offers worth more than €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) in potential investment.
As part of the organization’s long-term strategic plan, it intends to award up to eight long-term franchises for the 2027-28 season, with plans to expand the league to 24 teams by that point.
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In addition, two spots will be guaranteed for qualifying clubs from the second-tier EuroCup, “preserving the flexibility to grant wild cards where appropriate.”
The top-tier EuroLeague expanded from 18 to 20 teams in the 2025-26 season.
Euroleague Basketball’s franchise process has generated “exceptional interest” before its official opening, with the body revealing it has received more than 20 formal proposals at the established valuation levels.
The league expects the €1.2 billion figure to continue increasing as the process advances.
In parallel with the franchise application process, Euroleague Basketball is advancing with plans to convert the 13 existing shareholder licences into long-term franchises, a process that is expected to be completed during the 2026-27 season.
The conversion will be carried out without any associated franchise or entry fee, due to their “longstanding commitment and contribution to the league.”
Interest has come from both existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, as well as new projects seeking to join the competition. In particular, Euroleague Basketball has received multiple proposals from investors and projects based in Rome, Berlin, and London.
Chus Bueno, Euroleague Basketball chief executive, said: “Our strategic plan, approved by the board of directors when I joined the organization back in February, continues to be executed successfully, and we are extremely pleased with the progress we are making.
“European basketball is experiencing an extraordinary moment. Interest from investors continues to increase every week, and it confirms the tremendous opportunity we have to accelerate the growth of our sport and our competition.”
The franchise application process officially opened this month, with the first franchises and strategic markets expected to be awarded between September and November.
The entry fee will be determined on a case-by-case basis, with factors such as the strategic importance of the market, the club's historical contribution to value creation within the league, whether the project is new or established, the size and engagement of its fanbase, and other relevant criteria being taken into account.
All interested parties that have formally entered the process have already received the official documentation, including the company's strategic plan, which projects that both the value of the initial franchise investment and the overall franchise valuation will double within three to four years.
Bueno added: “Investors see Euroleague Basketball as a premium competition featuring the best clubs, the strongest brands and intellectual property in European basketball, combined with an entry model that is both realistic and attractive.
“We have a clear strategic plan that we believe can significantly increase the value of these investments over the next three to four years. Our objective is to create substantial value for franchise partners while offering a highly attractive and sustainable investment opportunity.”
Euroleague Basketball is seeking to strengthen and expand its premier club competition amid the threat of the proposed NBA Europe project.
The NBA recently received multiple offers for its 12 prospective permanent franchises, including bids exceeding $1 billion.
NBA Europe, a joint venture between the NBA and global basketball governing body FIBA, puts the organizations in direct opposition to the EuroLeague, which already boasts commitments from all of the continent’s most prominent basketball teams, including Barcelona, Olympiacos, Panathanaikos, Fenerbahce, Bayern Munich, and, perhaps most notably, Real Madrid, which recently reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to the competition.
Indeed, the Spanish giants committed to playing in the elite EuroLeague club competition for the next 10 years despite a lucrative offer to join the proposed NBA Europe league.
Meanwhile, Euroleague Basketball also unveiled its Euroleague Basketball+ strategic vision for the future of European club basketball.
Euroleague Basketball+ is seeking to become the digital home of club basketball in the region, “combining competitions, content, technology, commercial opportunities, and fan experiences into one integrated ecosystem.”
The vision is built on four strategic pillars: competition excellence, asset value growth, commercial operations, and stakeholder integration.
Euroleague Basketball additionally held its general assembly yesterday, where it revealed a 10% revenue increase above initial projections for the 2025-26 season. Financial projections for the 2026-27 season anticipate a further 7% increase.
The league also approved the creation of a new competition, the Supercup, which is expected to hold its inaugural edition in September 2026.
Earlier this year, Euroleague Basketball announced plans to raise €2.5 billion in capital as part of a three-year strategic business plan.
A key component of the roadmap saw shareholders of the Euroleague Commercial Assets arm agree to explore raising €1.5 billion in capital to support strategic growth initiatives, alongside an additional capital raise of at least €1 billion dedicated to a commercial vehicle.
The plan will look to elevate the EuroLeague’s collective enterprise valuation to €2.5 billion within three seasons.
