Basketball Business 27
Why European basketball’s money race is accelerating
A fool and their money is easily parted. European basketball has never lacked rich owners willing to splash out for no return. What’s different about now is that more and more owners see basketball as an investment with real revenue potential. The first edition of the Sunday column after our summer break sees Emmet Ryan […]
Making sense of Euroleague expansion to 24 teams
Euroleague expansion is imminent but that also means major changes are coming. A conference split and a season overhaul is only the beginning. Emmet Ryan on how, as ever, it’s about growing revenue and not making a mess of it. Christos Stavropoulos seems to have confirmed what everyone is thinking. The Olimpia Milano GM told […]
European basketball is wasting its biggest nights
It’s a great time of year if you’re a basketball fan. All four of the pan-continental competitions have either reached or are hitting their climaxes. Yet all involved with the Euroleague, the Basketball Champions League, Eurocup, and the FIBA Europe Cup missed opportunities. Emmet Ryan on why scheduling collaboration is needed. It’s a simple problem […]
Super League Basketball expansion: 10 things SLB must get right
Super League Basketball (SLB) in the UK has 9 teams. It would like to have more. To make that work, it’s going to involve a lot of work. Most of the necessary stuff is desperately boring to basketball fans. That doesn’t make it any more vital to success. Emmet Ryan does a deep dive. The […]
European Basketball and the Search for Sustainability
European basketball is at an odd point. With clubs in trouble, interest from the NBA, and everything else, it’s strange to say that some sanity might be coming to pass. Could the sport actually be on the verge of becoming truly self-sustaining at the top level? Emmet Ryan on the possibility of sanity emerging in […]
Euroleague Final Four 2025: Why It’s in Abu Dhabi
The decision to move the Euroleague Final Four to Abu Dhabi has not been without controversy. While lucrative in the immediate term, questions remain over the long-term strategy. It’s Euroleague Final Four week and the eyes of the basketball world shift towards Abu Dhabi. The decision to move the showpiece event away from the competition’s […]
Will Fans Buy in to NBA Europe?
It’s time for the fifth and final part of our series, NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment. This final article on the cultural battle — the emotional, tribal, and unpredictable part of any sports venture. In short, it’s about the fans. The NBA and FIBA may have the branding and the resources, but without fan buy-in, […]
Can NBA Europe Win on TV?
At the end of the day, the NBA Europe project is focused on generating revenue. Part 4 of our series on FIBA and the NBA’s new basketball league focuses on the broadcast and media strategy — arguably the single most important financial pillar for NBA Europe. We break down the potential for success, the very […]
Will Europe’s Top Clubs Join NBA Europe?
Part three of our series addresses the critical question of club participation. No matter how strong the NBA’s branding is, if the continent’s biggest teams don’t join, NBA Europe will struggle to command legitimacy or fan interest. Today we explore who might join, who likely won’t, and the complicated choices those clubs face. Read part […]
Can NBA Europe Take Over?
Part two of our series, NBA Europe: The Grant Experiment, digs into the structural conflict at the heart of the NBA’s ambitions in Europe — namely, the decision to go around EuroLeague rather than partner with it. Emmet Ryan explores who really controls European basketball, what the NBA wants to change, and whether NBA Europe […]
The High Price of NBA Europe
The NBA and FIBA plan to launch a pan-European league in time for the 2026/27 season. The idea is as ambitious as it is unprecedented. Both organisations are betting on a belief in basketball’s untapped commercial potential on the continent. Emmet Ryan on just how expensive it is going to be for NBA Europe to […]
Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, and marketing a feud
It’s got the fans. It’s got the personalities. Then there are the stakes. Few rivalries in basketball can compare to that of Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Yet, is Euroleague doing enough to build on its most marketable rivalry? The rivalry that makes the rest of Euroleague come to a standstill is renewed on Friday. Basketball in […]