Major changes on the horizon! EuroLeague basketball set to expand to 24 teams
Structural changes are brewing in the EuroLeague. According to BasketNews, several leading clubs without shareholder status are in the final stages of forming a new association aimed at boosting their influence in the competition and ensuring a more equitable distribution of revenue.
The core of this emerging alliance includes Dubai, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Valencia, Monaco, Partizan, Crvena Zvezda, and Virtus. The association sees itself as a driving force for the EuroLeague’s overall business growth, advocating for an increase in the number of permanent participants in major markets and, as a result, enhancing the tournament’s commercial appeal.
Sources indicate that a potential expansion of the shareholder circle could also strengthen the EuroLeague’s position in the face of a possible NBA Europe launch, helping retain its status as the continent’s premier international club competition.
If no agreement can be reached within the EuroLeague, there remains a theoretical scenario in which clubs could consider alternative projects or even the creation of a new league. For now, this is merely a hypothesis: the priority remains development within the EuroLeague. However, the scale and influence of the new group provide it with significant negotiating leverage.
At the same time, the EuroLeague itself is planning to expand to 24 teams and transition to a conference format. This would reduce the number of games for each team while increasing the total number of matches, potentially boosting broadcast rights revenue.
Currently, the EuroLeague is sharply divided between shareholder clubs and all others. Thirteen shareholders control the key votes and share the primary revenues, while the rest — including holders of long-term licenses — are deprived of comparable financial and management rights.
The current list of EuroLeague shareholders includes Anadolu Efes, Baskonia, Barcelona, Fenerbahce, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos, Olimpia Milan, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, ASVEL, Bayern, Zalgiris, and CSKA.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
