The Buildup · Franchise Tracker

NBA Europe12 cities. 12 slots.

Twelve permanent franchises are being awarded on a rolling basis ahead of an October 2027 tip-off. This page tracks every city — who has bid, who leads, and what is actually confirmed rather than rumoured.

Last updated

0 of 12 slots awarded

How the league works

Format16 teams — 12 permanent franchises, 4 annual qualifiers

Qualifying routeFIBA Basketball Champions League, domestic performance, or an end-of-season play-in

Season structureRound-robin regular season into a multi-round playoff and finals

LaunchOctober 2027, for the 2027–28 season

Entry price$500m–$1bn, with several bids reported above $1bn

Equity splitNBA owners 50%, the 12 permanent franchise owners 50%

Break-evenFranchises projected to break even by season three

Run byNBA with FIBA. Mark Tatum leads; George Aivazoglou is MD for Europe

Where we are

Mar 2025NBA and FIBA jointly announce they are exploring a new pan-European league.
Dec 2025The two bodies confirm they will engage prospective teams and ownership groups.
Feb 2026Bidding opens across the 12 target cities.
31 Mar 2026Non-binding bids due. More than 120 investors reported to have engaged.
30 Jun 2026Final bids close. Over 20 ownership groups submit across all 12 cities.
Autumn 2026Franchises awarded on a rolling basis. Mark Tatum indicated a 60–90 day window from late June, putting the first names between late August and the end of the year.
2026–27Qualifying season for the four non-permanent slots.
Oct 2027Inaugural NBA Europe season tips off.

The open question

The EuroLeague is the unresolved variable. Negotiations are ongoing and the NBA has said it will proceed either way. Several EuroLeague clubs have submitted bids, and those clubs are reported to hold exit clauses allowing them to leave. Current NBA owners cannot own NBA Europe teams, though former owners appear in several bidding groups.

Get every announcement first

The Buildup covers NBA Europe as it's being built — the bids, the money, the arenas, and what it means for basketball in the UK. One email a week, and a note the moment a franchise lands.