Manchester United may be thinking about packing its bags and leaving football for good after the season the men’s team has had. If this is the case, the NBA’s planned move to launch a European league may have come at just the right time.
Basketball is a global sport, with attendance and participation steadily increasing outside the US year after year. Europe is home to some of basketball’s most passionate followings, renowned for electric atmospheres and deep-rooted fan culture.
Despite this enthusiasm and growth, the NBA believes basketball in Europe has yet to reach its full commercial potential, and why shouldn’t it?
The NBA’s best players today mostly come from European countries, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece, Nikola Jokić of Serbia, Luka Dončić from Slovenia, and Victor Wembanyama of France.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the recent SportsPro Live event in London, George Aivazoglou, NBA SVP and Managing Director for Europe and the Middle East, remarked: “That popularity, that fandom doesn’t materialise in the commercial value it should. So we think that we can do that, we can bring our commercial expertise… and at the end, create a product for fans, investors, teams and players.”
Aivazoglou was referring to the NBA’s March announcement that it is exploring the creation of a new European league in partnership with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
The news sent shockwaves through the sports world, not just within basketball, but across European football leagues such as La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga, as well as rugby’s Premiership Rugby.
These established competitions must now consider how to compete for attention against a rapidly growing sport backed by a powerhouse with a proven track record.
Established teams and leagues in Europe may be wondering why the NBA has decided to disrupt the region’s sports landscape. The answer lies in what Aivazoglou describes as a significant value gap in European basketball.
“European basketball today makes less than 1% of the European market share commercially,” Aivazoglou explained. “Less than 1%, and it is the second most popular sport. So that in itself is a significant gap, and it’s significant for everybody in the ecosystem.”
Interestingly, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum echoed a similar line in October 2024 during a telephone press conference with international media, as reported by Relevo.
It’s clear one of the NBA’s primary motivations for launching a European league is to capture and generate the commercial value it believes is currently untapped. However, existing leagues may not fully support this move.
The EuroLeague stated in April any regional league expansion by the NBA into the continent is viewed as a “threat to the long-standing traditions of European basketball. Such developments would risk fragmentation and confusion within the sport.”
For those in football, the NBA’s European expansion draws parallels to the failed European Super League initiative in 2021, which sought to unite top clubs in a single league to maximise fandom and commercial revenue.
While there are some similarities, the NBA’s approach differs in key ways. Unlike the football Super League, which did not include promotion or relegation, the NBA has expressed interest in creating a league with 12 to 16 franchises, incorporating promotion and relegation, a staple in European sports.
Still, as Aivazoglou emphasised, the project remains in its exploratory phase, leaving unanswered questions about whether clubs from existing leagues will join and what impact that might have.
One way the NBA could establish its European presence quickly is by partnering with existing teams. Aivazoglou revealed that while new teams could be created, existing organisations from other sports might also play a role.
“We’re very open-minded. We think that it’s going to be really interesting to see what existing clubs want to be a part of this. And obviously, we’ll be very open to that. It’s going to be really interesting to see existing football clubs, there are 14 organisations that don’t necessarily have basketball in the region now,” he said.
Among potential candidates are Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool. While these clubs do not currently have basketball teams, unlike some Spanish counterparts, their global brand power could make them ideal commercial partners.
London is seen as “the single biggest opportunity” for the NBA’s European expansion, according to Aivazoglou. The city currently lacks a professional basketball club, despite being one of Europe’s largest capitals and having a strong sporting heritage.
While the NBA aims to enhance European basketball, it does not expect the new league to surpass its North American counterpart.
Aivazoglou clarified this point, stating: “I think the top 450 players of the world will always offer the pursuit of the future at the NBA. So this is not about that. This is more about how we create conditions for top European talent, maybe beyond those 450 players, to stay on the continent.”
