NBA Europe Launch Targets Fall 2027 With 16 Teams, Silver Says

LAS VEGAS — The NBA is planning to tip off its inaugural NBA Europe season in fall 2027, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday at the Board of Governors meetings here. The proposed league would field 16 teams — 12 permanent franchises and four annual qualifiers — in partnership with FIBA, basketball's world governing body.

Bids for the 12 permanent franchises were due at the end of June, and the NBA has received several offers in the $500 million to $1 billion range across each of its 12 target cities, according to NBA.com. Silver said discussions are advancing and that several European bidders will be in New York for the FIFA World Cup final, where deals could be wrapped up "over the next several weeks."

Target cities include London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Rome, Istanbul, Barcelona, Manchester, Lyon and Athens, the league said. Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is leading the project.

## NBA Europe and the Africa Blueprint

The NBA pointed to the Basketball Africa League, launched in 2021, as a template for its European expansion, underscoring the league's growing footprint across multiple continents. Basketball ranks as Europe's second-most-popular sport with more than 270 million fans, NBA.com reported. San Antonio and New Orleans are scheduled to play regular-season games in Paris and Manchester in January 2027.

**Sources** - https://www.nba.com/news/progress-continues-nba-europe-league - https://sourcereporters.com/tag/basketball-africa-league/ - https://sourcereporters.com/sport/

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