Hapoel Tel Aviv is expected to play in the 2026/27 EuroLeague season after a very successful debut campaign, but the club may soon face a major financial hurdle to secure its long-term place in the competition.
A Spanish report says the EuroLeague is moving toward a franchise model, under which clubs would no longer receive licenses for one, three, five, or 10 years. Instead, teams would sign for a permanent license that does not expire in the foreseeable future. Clubs that are not already part of the league ownership structure would need to pay significant sums to enter that system.
According to the report, Virtus Bologna president said his club will pay 50 million euros over 10 years to become a franchise, and Valencia is also said to be paying the same amount. The same report says Hapoel Tel Aviv and Dubai would be asked to pay 80 million euros to join as franchises. Other clubs reportedly “knocking on the door” include Hapoel Jerusalem, Beşiktaş and Galatasaray.
The report says the earlier a club joins as a franchise, the more money it can make, because later entrants would pay into a structure that already includes the initial members. The franchise model, common in American sports, gives owners voting rights and a share in league ownership, similar to the EuroLeague’s current setup, but it also allows the league to sell licenses at a price reflecting its current valuation. Eurohoops predicts the change could raise profits by 25% and strengthen both the clubs and the league.
