The NBA’s vision of bringing its brand to Europe is no longer a distant concept. It is quickly becoming one of the league’s most ambitious expansion efforts ever, with plans moving forward for the launch of NBA Europe in October 2027.
Created in partnership with FIBA, the proposed league will feature 16 teams, including 12 permanent franchises and four clubs that qualify each season through merit-based competition. The format is designed to blend long-term franchise stability with opportunities for top-performing European clubs to earn their place on the court.
Commissioner Adam Silver offered the clearest update yet during the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas, revealing that the response from investors has exceeded expectations.
“We’ve had tremendous interest from multiple cities in Europe, including cities that we didn’t even ask for bids from,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday at the Board of Governors meetings in Las Vegas.
The target map spans some of Europe’s biggest basketball and soccer markets, including London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, Munich, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, and Istanbul. Ownership groups submitted bids by the end of June, with more than 20 viable proposals reportedly received. In several of the league’s marquee markets, franchise valuations have already climbed beyond the NBA’s projected range, with bids reportedly stretching from at least $500 million to more than $1 billion.
Unlike traditional expansion models, NBA Europe is expected to feature a mix of established European basketball organizations, major soccer clubs entering the sport, and entirely new franchises built specifically for the league. The four rotating qualification spots will also create an annual pathway for successful clubs from competitions such as the Basketball Champions League.
Silver indicated that final negotiations are already underway and suggested the first ownership announcements could arrive sooner rather than later.
“Given their presence in New York, I would say we’re hoping to wrap up some of those deals over the next several weeks, and then announcements will be forthcoming.”
If everything stays on schedule, opening week in the fall of 2027 could showcase marquee matchups stretching across the continent, with cities like Paris, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Istanbul, and London becoming home to the NBA’s newest chapter.
The league’s ambitions extend well beyond Europe itself. Long-term plans include integrating NBA Europe into the league’s broader global calendar through events such as preseason exhibitions and potential connections with competitions like the Emirates NBA Cup, creating a more unified international basketball ecosystem.
Basketball has spent decades building a passionate European audience. Now the NBA appears ready to meet that demand with a full-scale league of its own, bringing its style, business model, and global reach directly to some of the world’s biggest sports markets.
