NBA team owners will vote this week on whether to move forward with a plan for a new professional basketball league in Europe, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico (subscription required).
Reporting throughout the season has indicated that the NBA was exploring the possibility of launching its own league in Europe in order to both expand the sport’s presence overseas and to put the NBA in position to “share more directly in the economics of that growth,” as Soshnick and Novy-Williams write.
According to Sportico, the NBA believes that the basketball ecosystem in Europe and the Middle East could be worth up to $3 billion in annual revenue.
Here are some of the details of the proposal, as outlined by Sportico:
- The goal would be for the league to have eight to 10 teams.
- It’s a “semi-open” proposal, which means there would be up to four spots available for top EuroLeague teams to compete in the NBA’s European league the following year.
- The league’s permanent franchise slots would be sold to outside investors, with the NBA holding 50% equity in the league and the franchise owners holding the other 50%.
- The NBA would prefer to sell franchises to people outside of the league. Sportico suggests that potential buyers could include sovereign wealth funds, private capital, wealthy individuals, or existing European basketball clubs.
- Franchises in cities like London or Paris could sell for at least $500MM, per the NBA’s proposal.
The NBA’s team owners are set to meet this week in New York. The vote on the European league will take place during those meetings.
That’s so cool! They can call it…The Euroleague…hold up…
I like it.
Euroleague, champs league, pga, ncaa are all about to face major competition.
Saudi dollars aren’t stopping at UFC and wwe
Ufc and wwe are the same product
This league is determined to destroy itself.
Yeah, the NBA is going to be “destroyed”
Got ya.
Just by the Euroleague. Or go in business with them. Its a global game and we are all part of it.
Silver is determined to make the NBA trash, so it checks out that he’s chasing the almighty dollar.
Just call it the EBA…..Eurotrash Basketball Association.
“Chasing the almighty dollar” lol in a league where players make millions to play a game to sell advertisements. Wake up bro
While they’re pushing it at a “Euro” league, it’s nothing more than an attempt to grab Saudi cash. The NBA has seen the Saudi’s pump money into other ventures, and they want a slice of it – regardless of whether it’s sustainable or good for basketball as a whole.
This will be a tough sell for European basketball fans, who passionately support the EuroLeague and the fact that it isn’t tainted by the NBA.
Epic failure. London $500 million lol, good luck with that. Any suckers lining up for this?
Saudi billionaires
They’re going after multiple leagues all at once
All of ya’ll complaining will be the first one’s lining up to watch.
I might try to catch a few games on the weekend out curiosity. It will be interesting to see how this would work with the draft. Will there be a separate draft? Are they able to sign American FAs? If that’s the case why expand to Seattle or wherever with London and Paris getting teams?
Seems completely unnecessary. They should use that money to make the BAL a propper league with a full season with like 30 plus games. Europe has plenty of pro basketball. Africa is being neglected.