By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Basketball in Europe is currently at a crossroads, and on Monday, another ECA Shareholders meeting was held, aiming to improve basketball on the continent, as well as to establish concrete plans for the future.
During the meeting, a three-year plan with the target of increasing the league evalation 2.5 billion euros was approved, which is expected to increase the collective value of the league and of the individual clubs, which will soon turn into “franchises” under a different business structure. The last evaluation of the EuroLeague was done almost two years ago and was 1 billion euros.
Additionally, part of the discussion was dedicated to collaboration with the NBA and the future of their project in Europe, with EuroLeague once again confirming its readiness to cooperate in the entire situation.
Press release by Euroleague
The Board of Shareholders of EuroLeague Commercial Assets (ECA) convened on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to review and approve a series of transformative strategic initiatives designed to accelerate the long-term growth, value creation, and global positioning of the EuroLeague.
In a decisive step forward, the Board endorsed the foundational pillars of a comprehensive business plan centered on incremental asset value creation, infrastructure modernization, and the implementation of a three-year organizational enhancement and expansion strategy. These initiatives reinforce ECA’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and financial sustainability while strengthening the broader European basketball ecosystem.
Strategic business plan
ECA Shareholders greenlighted the development of a three-year strategic business plan aimed at maximizing both the collective value of the league and the individual asset value of its clubs. The plan targets elevating the EuroLeague’s collective enterprise valuation to €2.5 billion within three seasons.
Key components of the roadmap include:
- The evaluation of establishing permanent licenses (so-called ‘franchises’) and expanding the number of licenses to ensure stability and continuity.
- The execution of a transformational organizational roadmap anchored in digital acceleration, direct-to-consumer capabilities, and strategic geographic expansion.
- Structural enhancements designed to optimize governance, operational scalability, and commercial performance.
In parallel, shareholders agreed to explore raising €1.5 billion in capital to support strategic growth initiatives, alongside an additional capital raise of at least €1 billion dedicated to a commercial vehicle focused on accelerating the development and modernization of EuroLeague venues. This investment would strengthen infrastructure standards, enhance the fan experience, and unlock new long-term revenue streams.
Through these actions, ECA reaffirms its leadership position in European basketball and its commitment to delivering a premium competition model that balances sporting excellence with commercial ambition and long-term sustainability.
Further details regarding implementation milestones and operational guidelines will be communicated in due course.
Strong commercial momentum across league and clubs
The Board was also updated on the continued commercial momentum of both the League and its clubs.
At the league level, management confirmed projected year-on-year revenue growth of 9%, alongside a corresponding 18% increase in club economic distributions—reflecting disciplined execution and expanding commercial partnerships.
At the club level, market revenues have grown by 40% over the past three seasons, driven by an 85% increase in gameday revenues and a 30% rise in commercial revenues.
These results underscore the strengthening financial foundations of the EuroLeague ecosystem and validate the strategic direction undertaken in recent years.
This strategic roadmap reflects ECA’s clear ambition: to lead European basketball into its next era of growth, innovation, and global relevance—while safeguarding the integrity, competitiveness, and sustainability that define EuroLeague Basketball.
‘NBA Europe’ developments
The Chief Executive Officer of EuroLeague Basketball provided the Board with an update on recent constructive discussions held with senior executives of the NBA regarding potential future collaboration opportunities in Europe.
The Board reaffirmed its openness to exploring a strategic partnership framework, both at the league and individual club level.
The League’s executive management team will continue engaging in dialogue with the NBA and, following the conclusion of the latter’s ongoing process this month to explore market feedback on its investment data room, will jointly evaluate all potential strategic opportunities.