NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the proposed NBA Europe competition is attracting substantial interest from potential investors, including established basketball organizations and major European soccer clubs.
The NBA is working toward creating a new professional basketball league in Europe, with several of the continent’s largest cities considered potential franchise markets.
During an interview with CNBC, Silver explained that interested ownership groups come from different backgrounds.
“They’re coming in from a combination of existing basketball clubs, some of the big soccer brands in Europe,” Silver explained. “And then in other markets, people are starting clubs from scratch.”
According to Silver, prospective investors are already discussing franchise valuations reaching “many hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The commissioner believes the opportunity to establish NBA-affiliated teams in major European markets is particularly attractive to investors.
“I mean, it’s a sort of once-and-forever opportunity to be the NBA team in London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, some of the top markets in Europe, some of the top markets in the world,” Silver said. “And that’s how people see those opportunities.”
The NBA continues developing its European competition while negotiating with EuroLeague over a potential partnership.
Although the organizations have not reached an agreement, Silver has repeatedly emphasized that the NBA intends to proceed with the project.
The level of investor interest could play an important role in determining the competition’s eventual structure and participating cities.
