Eleven Teams Vie for EuroLeague Licenses as Hapoel Jerusalem Misses Out

The EuroLeague board of shareholders convened on August 25, 2026, to review the first round 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, marking a significant commercial and strategic expansion for the league. Over 20 formal proposals were submitted by existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, as well as new investment projects, reflecting strong global interest.

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

The combined franchise fees proposed by the 11 candidates amount to nearly 700 million euros, with total investments expected to exceed 3.2 billion euros over the next five years. According to JB Capital, this expansion could increase the league and clubs' combined valuation to 4.3 billion euros by 2027. The EuroLeague management will now conduct thorough due diligence on the selected proposals, aiming to present final recommendations at the owners' meeting scheduled for late September 2026.

At that meeting, owners will vote on adopting the franchise model, confirm the clubs joining in the first expansion phase, and determine the number of new teams. Thirteen current shareholder clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, are guaranteed automatic spots under the new system and are not part of the licensing competition. EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu highlighted the strong commercial momentum and investor confidence demonstrated by the substantial franchise fee offers and emphasized the rigorous vetting process to ensure the league's growth and stability.