Overview
- NBA and FIBA said they will start engaging prospective clubs and owners next month, shifting the project from exploration to formal outreach.
- The planned competition would mix permanent franchises with annual qualification via FIBA’s Basketball Champions League or an end‑of‑season tournament, with a 16‑team model under review that includes 12 permanent spots.
- FIBA officials indicated a working target to tip off in October 2027, and organizers plan to align the calendar with domestic leagues and national‑team windows while committing funding to European development programs.
- CNBC‑reported plans call for nonbinding bids in January and an NBA Board of Governors vote to greenlight the league in March, a timeline echoed in subsequent reports.
- Advisers JPMorgan and the Raine Group have met scores of potential investors, with reported franchise buy‑ins in the roughly $500 million to $1 billion‑plus range and target markets including London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Munich, Berlin, Athens and Istanbul, as EuroLeague voices resistance to a new competition.