EuroLeague Commercial Assets (ECA), the body that runs Europe's top club basketball competition, is preparing to expand the EuroLeague from its current lineup to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season, with up to eight new long-term franchise licenses set to be awarded. PAOK and Aris, two Greek clubs, are among those in talks to join the competition.
The ECA shareholders' board met on Tuesday, 25 August, to review progress on the Transformational Strategic Roadmap approved on 3 March, which aims to accelerate EuroLeague Basketball's long-term growth, build value and cement its position globally.
Final decisions on the expansion, including which clubs receive franchises, are expected at the end of September, when EuroLeague Basketball's full plan for the 2027-28 season will also become clear.
Agreements with coaches and referees
The board was briefed on a newly signed agreement with the EuroLeague Coaches Association (EHCB), which lays the groundwork for the first comprehensive Framework Agreement with the coaches' union.
ECA shareholders were also updated on the renewal of the agreement with the referees' association, UEBO, which is expected to be signed next weekend in Wroclaw, Poland, during the 27th Pre-season Referee Seminar.
Together with the existing agreement with the players' union, ELPA, these deals strengthen ties between EuroLeague Basketball and the sport's core stakeholders, players, coaches and referees, according to the league, as the competition enters a new phase of its development.
Franchise process draws more than 20 bids
The board received an update on the first round of franchise applications, which officially opened in July 2026 and aims to award up to eight new long-term franchise licenses from the 2027-28 season.
The process drew more than 20 formal expressions of interest and proposals, from existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs as well as new investment groups seeking to enter the competition. After an initial evaluation based on established criteria and financial assessments, 11 proposals were pre-approved for the first allocation stage and moved to the next phase, while four more remain under review.
Binding offers worth almost €700m
All 11 pre-approved candidates have submitted formal binding offers, together worth almost €700 million in franchise fees, with total expected investment over the next five years exceeding €3.2 billion. Interest came from a wide range of markets, including traditional European basketball powers as well as new investment plans from continental Europe and the Middle East, underlining EuroLeague Basketball's growing commercial appeal, according to the league.
The board approved continuing the evaluation and due diligence process for the 11 shortlisted candidates. In the second phase, EuroLeague Basketball will carry out a more extensive review of each proposal before presenting its final recommendations to the Owners' Assembly at the end of September 2026 for final approval.
The process is expected to speed up delivery of the Strategic Plan, pushing the combined value of the league and its clubs to €4.3 billion by 2027, according to forecasts from JB Capital.
Revenue growth revised upward
The board was also briefed on the competition's commercial performance and revised forecasts for the current business cycle. Management presented a forecast of 15% annual revenue growth, significantly higher than the figure presented at the General Assembly on 7 July, reflecting the league's latest commercial agreements.
Three-year business plan
Management also updated the board on the rollout of the three-year Strategic Business Plan, which includes initiatives focused on scaling operations and creating new growth opportunities.
Among the highlights, the board pointed to progress in technology and innovation, with EuroLeague Basketball+ at the forefront of the league's digital transformation, and to arena modernization through ArenaCO, a newly created body set up to give clubs access to financing and expertise for upgrading or building their venues. The Strategic Plan sets a target of raising EuroLeague Basketball's overall enterprise valuation to €2.5 billion within three seasons.
Talks with the NBA and FIBA
The chief executive also updated the board on recent constructive talks with senior NBA and FIBA officials about possible areas of future cooperation in European basketball.
Chus Bueno, chief executive of EuroLeague Basketball, said the league was going through a period of strong momentum, both commercially and strategically. He said the huge interest generated by the franchise process was clear evidence of the confidence clubs, investors and new groups had in the competition's future, and that binding offers approaching €700 million, representing investments of more than €3.2 billion over the next five years, demonstrated the strength of the league's model.
Bueno said the league would now proceed with a rigorous due diligence process, with the aim of presenting its conclusions to the board and the owners at the end of September, when the final move to the franchise model would be voted on, setting the number and names of the teams taking part in the first stage of the expansion for the 2027-28 season.
