By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
The new Euroleague format which is expected to be used in the 2016-17 season has a total of six more games compared to this season and that translates to five weeks with two Euroleague games for each team.
As Eurohoops can confirm, during the regular season which will start one week earlier compared to this year, each team will have to play on five occasions twice a week for the top European competition. This is a provision similar to the champions league format proposed by FIBA, the regular season will last 30 weeks and in five of them Euroleague teams will have to give a total of four games – including their domestic leagues – in nine days.
In order for this to be achieved in some cases the teams will play consecutive home or away games in close destinations and the domestic leagues will have to facilitate them with similar provisions in their schedule.
Centralized television rights
The extra games combined with the presence of the top European clubs in a 30 round regular season changes a lot the television product of the league and with the collaboration of IMG, the target is to sell the television rights in big markets outside Europe. IMG has the know how to do that, they are already doing it with the NCAA and they are expecting that things will change also for Euroleague.