Euroleague Basketball has advanced 11 proposals to the next stage of its franchise expansion process, with the pre-accepted candidates now submitting binding offers worth a combined value of almost €700 million in franchise fees.
The Board of Shareholders of Euroleague Commercial Assets met Tuesday to review the process, which could result in up to eight new long-term franchises joining the competition for the 2027-28 season.
More than 20 formal expressions of interest and proposals were submitted after the first application round opened in July 2026. Eleven candidates passed the initial assessment and moved forward, while four additional proposals remain on hold.
EuroLeague said the 11 pre-accepted projects represent an expected investment of more than €3.2 billion over the next five years. Interest has come from existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, established European basketball markets and new projects from continental Europe and the Middle East.
The second phase will involve a more extensive due diligence process before final recommendations are presented to the Owners meeting scheduled for the end of September. That meeting will determine which proposals receive approval.
The expansion process forms part of EuroLeague Basketball’s Transformational Strategic Roadmap, which was approved on March 3. The organization said JB Capital projects the league and its clubs to reach an aggregated value of €4.3 billion by 2027.
Management also presented revised commercial projections showing 15% year-over-year revenue growth for the current business cycle. EuroLeague said the increase reflects recent commercial agreements and improved projections compared with those presented to the General Assembly on July 7.
The league’s three-year Strategic Business Plan targets a collective enterprise valuation of €2.5 billion, supported by commercial growth, expanded global reach and the development of a long-term franchise structure.
EuroLeague also highlighted Euroleague Basketball+, its planned digital platform, and ArenaCO, a new vehicle intended to provide clubs and other stakeholders with financing and expertise for venue construction, modernization and programming.
The franchise process comes after a 2025-26 season in which the competition expanded to 20 teams. Olympiacos finished first in the regular season at 26-12 and went on to defeat Real Madrid 92-85 in the championship game in Athens.
EuroLeague’s proposed 2027-28 expansion would represent another significant change to the competition’s structure, potentially adding up to eight long-term franchise holders as the league evaluates projects across Europe and the Middle East. The final decisions are expected after the due diligence process is completed and the proposals are presented to club owners at the end of September.
The Board also received an update on discussions between EuroLeague Basketball, the NBA and FIBA regarding potential areas of future collaboration in European basketball.
