sports
NBA to begin naming winning bids for Europe teams in the coming months, deputy commissioner says
The NBA plans to begin naming winning bidders for 12 permanent European teams in the next 60 to 90 days, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum told CNBC.
TL;DR
- NBA plans to name winning bidders for 12 permanent European teams in 60-90 days.
- The European league is targeted to debut in October 2027.
- Permanent teams will be located in Rome, Milan, London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Athens, and Istanbul.
- Four rotating clubs will also participate annually.
- Bids for teams are due at the end of June.
- The NBA is seeking 'great operators' who will invest in new stadiums.
- Basketball is Europe's second-most popular sport but has low commercial market share.
- NBA Europe teams may play North American teams in preseason and potentially in the Emirates NBA Cup.
- The NBA is in discussions with potential media partners for NBA Europe.
- The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is also seeking investors and is projected to grow its GDP contribution significantly.
- Africa is identified as a major growth market with a large youth population.