Euroleague owners reject NBA proposal and approve shift to 24-team franchise model

Shareholder summit at Lake Como

The executive leadership and owner representatives of Euroleague Commercial Assets gathered on Tuesday at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, to establish a 10-year strategic roadmap for the continental basketball competition. Euroleague President Dejan Bodiroga and Chief Executive Officer Chus Bueno presided over the summit with delegates from the 13 shareholder clubs that control the organization. Attendees included FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta, Real Madrid director José Ángel Sánchez, and Baskonia representative Josean Querejeta. The other shareholder organizations represented at the table were Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahçe, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Olimpia Milan, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Zalgiris Kaunas, Bayern Munich, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, and CSKA Moscow, although the Russian club remains barred from active competition due to political sanctions.

Shift to a franchise model

The club owners voted to replace the existing 10-year licensing structure with a permanent franchise framework for all 13 proprietary members. Moving to permanent franchises aims to build long-term stability and enhance the commercial equity of the member clubs, which have experienced persistent operational deficits despite anchoring the highest tier of European basketball. The organizational shift solidifies the continued participation of key basketball powerhouses across Spain, Greece, and Turkey. Euroleague Commercial Assets formally confirmed the structural decision in an official announcement following the discussions.

The owners of the clubs present agreed to advance the process of converting the current 10-year licenses into franchises for the 13 shareholder clubs.

The long-term agreement guarantees that top clubs maintain direct control over commercial assets and executive governance.

Expansion to 24 teams

Under the approved strategic roadmap, the Euroleague intends to expand the tournament lineup from 20 to 24 teams starting in the 2026/27 season. The league is currently evaluating multiple binding bids submitted by external clubs seeking permanent entry, with prospective entry fees valued between €40 million and €90 million per franchise. The applicant pool features Valencia Basket alongside Virtus Bologna, Paris Basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Red Star Belgrade, Partizan Belgrade, PAOK, Napoli, Dubai Basketball, London Lions, Maxima Roma, Aris Thessaloniki, and Hapoel Jerusalem. Under this expansion architecture, the league plans to integrate up to 21 permanent franchises alongside three additional berths, which could lead to a restructuring into two conferences to accommodate scheduling constraints.

Stalled NBA negotiations

The Cernobbio summit also delivered a verdict on an acquisition and partnership proposal presented by the NBA, which has been developing plans for an independent NBA Europe league to launch in 2027. The American proposal envisioned a 16-team tournament featuring 12 permanent franchises in large urban centers (including London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, and Istanbul) plus four berths for national league and Champions League qualifiers. A core condition of the NBA offer required the Euroleague to freeze its expansion to 24 teams and preserve its existing operational setup. A large majority of the 13 Euroleague shareholders rejected these terms prior to the NBA's Tuesday deadline, with several club officials characterizing the approach as unacceptable and colonialist. Although the current offer was dismissed, club executives noted that discussions could resume if the NBA submits a reformulated economic proposal.