There NBA did she intend to take advantage of the uncertainty that had reigned for some time in Euroleague by recovering some flagship clubs from the Old Continent (Real Madrid? Panathinaikos?) for its own European league? This is because the agreement between the Euroleague and the sports marketing giant IMG ended in 2025/26, which is when Adam Silver would have liked to launch his own league, in Europe and undoubtedly also in the Middle East…
Except that Paulius Motiejunas has already negotiated a contract extension with IMG, until the 2035/36 season.
“It brings stability” explains the boss of the Euroleague. “It's good to know that we have support and that we can work hand in hand to grow the product. In these uncertain times, it continues to connect everyone. And that’s a very important element.”
“Launching new leagues, in the European market in particular, is a real challenge, and we saw it with football when the Super League project appeared”
This new agreement will undoubtedly enormously complicate the NBA's task, if its goal was indeed to recover historic European basketball clubs for the launch of its own league.
Certainly, The Athletic reveals that there are exit clauses for clubs wishing to join a competing league, which are not subject to revenue targets as in the previous contract, but BasketNews adds that they are accompanied by penalties if they are used by individual clubs.
“Launching new leagues, in the European market in particular, is a real challenge, and we saw it with football when the Super League project appeared”recalls Adam Kelly, the boss of IMG, which helps the Euroleague to grow its broadcasting rights, its partnerships and its revenues in theaters. “Fans are very demanding when it comes to sport in Europe, and established brands hold enormous strength and power. And when it comes to European basketball, these brands all play within the Euroleague… The NBA will face considerable difficulties if it tries to establish itself in this region. »
