EuroLeague Advances 11 Franchise Bids Worth €700 Million for 2027/28 Expansion

The EuroLeague's shareholder board convened on August 25, 2026, to review progress in its franchise licensing process aimed at expanding the league starting with the 2027/28 season. Launched in July 2026, the initiative seeks to grant up to eight long-term franchise licenses, attracting significant interest from existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs as well as new investment projects.

Out of more than 20 formal applications, 11 bids passed an initial financial and organizational screening and moved to the next stage, while four remain pending. The identities of these clubs have not yet been disclosed. The combined franchise fees proposed by the 11 candidates amount to nearly €700 million, with total planned investments exceeding €3.2 billion over the next five years. Financial analysts at JB Capital forecast that this expansion will boost the league and clubs' combined valuation to approximately €4.3 billion by 2027.

The EuroLeague management will now conduct thorough due diligence on the shortlisted bids before making final recommendations. These will be presented at the owners' meeting scheduled for late September 2026, where a formal vote will determine the adoption of the franchise model, the selected clubs, and the number of teams joining in the first expansion phase. Notably, the 13 current shareholder clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, are guaranteed automatic spots and are not part of the franchise application process.

EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu commented on the process, emphasizing the strong commercial and strategic momentum and the confidence shown by clubs and investors. He stated, "The binding offers totaling nearly €700 million demonstrate the resilience of our business model. We will continue rigorous due diligence to ensure the selected projects strengthen the competition, with owners voting on the final franchise model for the 2027/28 season at the end of September."