The latest bids for NBA Europe franchises are due Monday afternoon, the next step in the league’s plan to raise billions to launch a new circuit in the Old World.
As the NBA and its bankers have engaged with dozens of potential buyers from around the globe—including sovereign funds, major soccer teams and wealthy individuals—they’ve also worked to build the internal framework of the league.
Borrowing elements from traditional U.S. leagues (salary cap, local media rights), and pieces more common in global soccer (performance-based revenue payouts, team-specific jersey deals), the NBA seeks to create a new enterprise to capitalize on what it views as a significantly underserved and undervalued market for basketball players, fans, investors and partners.
Sportico spoke recently with multiple people involved in building NBA Europe. Under the condition of anonymity, they broke down the economic structure of the league, which is planning to launch in October 2027. At the outset, league equity will be split 50/50 between the NBA and the owners of the 12 initial permanent franchises. League revenue, however, will flow overwhelmingly to the teams themselves, largely in the form of fixed distributions and performance payments, the people said.
