By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The NBA and FIBA are moving forward with their European plan; the clock is ticking, and it remains to be seen whether there will be a deal with the EuroLeague.
Once more, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum spent most of his meeting with the international media talking not only about the NBA finals, but also about the upcoming new league in Europe.
Tatum confirmed that the talks with the EuroLeague are continuing and also that the project remains on track for a 2027 October tip-off, no matter what may happen in those talks.
As he explained: “We have had tremendous progress towards our 2027 launch, a model which will benefit clubs and players in Europe. We expect the final bids at the end of the month. We are in the final stages of talks in partnership with FIBA. We have made progress in the format. We will create a more open, merit-based business model. We are going to invest more in European basketball than ever. This will drive sustainable growth. We’ve been advancing the conversation. We feel really good about the competition’s structure”.
Tatum once more repeated that there are also talks with existing EuroLeague teams and new investors, while adding that the NBA will not extract value or money from European basketball: “We are very far along on our talks, but those things take time, either with existing teams or potential new investors. We want them to have a clear understanding of the model, and teams to understand the economics of the model; the vast majority of the economics will go back to them. We will invest in the league, we will invest in facilities, replay centers, things we need to have a world-class basketball league. It’s not about extracting value; a huge percentage will go back to the investment in European basketball. We will have one of the largest marketing campaigns, the capital will go back to investment, and everything else is just mischaracterization. Around 90% of the economics will stay in Europe. We are also building a system that will benefit the European clubs. Assuming an October 2027 launch, the next BCL winner will be qualified for the new league”.
Tatum also made a special mention to Luka Doncic and the new team in Rome in conjunction with the EuroLeague talks: “It’s amazing to have someone like Luka, who played in the EuroLeague, to return this way to European basketball. He is very excited about our project. Luka played in the EuroLeague, and he understands the need for a construct and a system that will benefit the sport. We remain in active discussions with the EuroLeague. We believe all parties must be aligned, and we are also realistic; we are ready to proceed with FIBA and our partners if needed. In the next couple of weeks, we will have a new meeting with the EuroLeague. We explained to everyone that the only way to guarantee a spot in the new competition will be via a successful bid. We are in active engagement with many of those clubs”.
Asked by Eurohoops about the timeline of the project, Tatum clarified that nothing has changed, even if there’s no specific date yet about an official announcement for the new league and the clubs that will be part of it: “At the end of the month, the bids will be finalized, and after that, we will go through our process. There’s no specific timeline for announcements; we have to finalize our negotiations with the clubs for a tipoff in October 2027.”
Given the phased approach, any agreements on final terms and subsequent announcements about the launch of the league and participating teams are expected to happen on a rolling basis.
Tatum also reaffirmed that the NBA, in partnership with FIBA, will proceed with their project, even if there’s no deal with the EuroLeague, clarifying again that every club in the new competition must make a successful bid: “We expressed to the EuroLeague that the only way to guarantee a spot is a successful bid. We are ready to negotiate with our partners if we can get into a deal. We have enough investors so we can move forward in any case”.
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