Eleven Teams Including Hapoel Tel Aviv Vie for EuroLeague Licenses, Jerusalem Excluded

The EuroLeague board of shareholders convened on August 25, 2026, to review the first phase of applications for long-term franchise licenses starting from the 2027/28 season. This new licensing model aims to grant up to eight new long-term licenses, attracting significant interest from over 20 existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs as well as new investment projects worldwide.

Following an initial financial and organizational screening, 11 proposals advanced to the next stage, while four others remain pending. Among the approved applicants is Hapoel Tel Aviv, alongside clubs from Valencia, Dubai, Rome, PAOK Thessaloniki, Napoli, Paris, Partizan Belgrade, Red Star Belgrade, Virtus Bologna, and London Lions. Notably, Hapoel Jerusalem was excluded from this round, along with Besiktas, Zenit, Kuban, and Kazan, the latter three affected by the suspension of Russian teams.

Financially, the licensing model represents a major leap for the league, with the 11 candidates submitting binding offers totaling nearly 700 million euros in license fees and projecting over 3.2 billion euros in investments over the next five years. JB Capital forecasts that this expansion will increase the combined value of the league and its clubs to 4.3 billion euros by 2027.

The EuroLeague management will now conduct thorough due diligence on the 11 shortlisted proposals, aiming to finalize recommendations for the owners’ meeting scheduled for late September 2026. At that meeting, owners will vote on adopting the licensing model, confirm which clubs will join in the initial expansion phase, and determine the number of new entrants. It is important to note that the 13 clubs currently holding shares in the league, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, have guaranteed automatic places under the new model and are not part of the licensing competition.

EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu summarized the process, stating, "The EuroLeague is experiencing strong momentum commercially and strategically. The high level of interest in the licensing process clearly shows clubs’ and investors’ confidence in the future of the competition. The binding offers of nearly 700 million euros demonstrate the robustness of our business model. We will continue with rigorous due diligence to ensure the selected projects strengthen the league, with owners voting on the final transition to the licensing model for the 2027/28 season at the end of September."