Since the 2016/17 season and the change of format of the competition, which resembles an (almost) closed league, IMG has taken control of the Euroleague for ten years and 630 million euros. This agreement, sealed in November 2015, will end at the end of the 2025/26 season and before that new investors could arrive.
In fact, at the beginning of summer, Reuters informed us that the group that owns the competition, Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA), had sounded out the interest of investors to take shares. The Euroleague had thus received the interest of several companies: EQT, BC Partners and General Atlantic.
A few weeks later, EuroHoops specifies that presentations have been made with BC Partners and General Atlantic, to acquire between 30 and 40% of ECA. As the company weighs around one billion euros, we are then talking about investments of 300 or 400 million euros.
We are only at the beginning of the discussions and no decision can be validated without the agreement of the 13 clubs that make up this league: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Baskonia, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, Anadolu Efes, Milan, Maccabi Tel Aviv, ASVEL, Bayern Munich, Zalgiris Kaunas and CSKA Moscow.
Nevertheless, this information is interesting because we know that Dubai is expected to enter the Euroleague and that the NBA is looking to invest in Europe, via an independent league that could resemble the European version of the BAL (Basketball Africa League). Even if it will perhaps be in parallel with the Euroleague, which does not really have an interest in being under the patronage of the NBA.
