The NBA is seriously considering a major European expansion, with plans for a new league, NBA Europe, potentially launching by 2027. Mark Tatum, a key figure in the NBA, recently outlined the vision, emphasizing the need for a more accessible and commercially viable basketball presence on the continent.
A New League for a New Audience
The NBA believes european basketball, as it currently exists, is too challenging for casual fans to follow. Tatum explained that the NBA’s established structure offers a clarity and consistency that the European leagues currently lack. “If you’re a fan, it’s difficult to follow professional basketball in Europe. It’s easy to follow the NBA, but difficult to follow European basketball,” he stated during an interview with Sportico.
Did you know? The NBA first explored European expansion in the 1990s, staging games in London and Paris, but a full-scale league was deemed unfeasible at the time.
Tatum pinpointed a key weakness in the Euroleague: the absence of powerhouse teams in major European markets.”The top level of the Euroleague is missing from some of europe’s biggest commercial markets,” he argued. “There are no top teams in the UK, even though it is the biggest market in Europe. There is no top basketball team in London, in Manchester. There is no permanent high-level team in Paris, in Berlin, in Rome. They therefore miss out on the biggest commercial markets, which explains why they fail to market basketball.”
Franchise Focus: Major Cities First
The proposed NBA europe league would prioritize “permanent franchises” in these key commercial hubs. “Our idea is to create this league, which would have between 12 and 16 teams, with the biggest countries having permanent franchises. Examples include the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. Two teams in each of these markets that we’re confident will have franchises, and then we’ll open the league up to the rest of the ecosystem,” Tatum detailed.
This strategy would likely mean, at least initially, sidelining countries with strong basketball traditions-like Lithuania and Serbia-due to their smaller economic footprints. The focus is squarely on maximizing revenue through television rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
Pro tip Expect critically important investment in infrastructure-arenas, training facilities-to support new NBA Europe franchises, potentially with public-private partnerships.
Simultaneously occurring, Euroleague Basketball leaders recently held a meeting with Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Equity, Youth, Culture and Sport, at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. Paulius Motiejunas and Commissioner Micallef discussed challenges facing basketball and European sport, agreeing on the importance of collaboration to foster growth and uphold European sporting values.
“Paulius Motiejunas and Commissioner Micallef shared their thoughts on the current challenges
Reader question Do you think a new NBA Europe league will enhance or detract from the existing European basketball scene? Share your thoughts!
Clarification of Changes & Answers to Questions:
* Why: The NBA is pursuing expansion into europe to tap into large, underserved commercial markets and increase global revenue. They believe the current European basketball structure is too fragmented and difficult for casual fans to follow.
* Who: Key players include Mark Tatum (NBA Deputy Commissioner), euroleague basketball leaders (Paulius Motiejunas), and Glenn Micallef (European Commissioner). The NBA, Euroleague, and European Union are all involved.
* What: The NBA is considering launching a new league, NBA Europe, with 12-16 permanent franchises in major European cities (UK, Spain
