[ad_1]
Why does the NBA come?
The NBA has been thinking for several years of placing its flag in Europe, beyond matches relocated for 40 years. “”The time has come to take the next step“, According to Adam Silver, boss of a league which has already established his thirst for expansion and diversification with the WNBA (the female championship), the G-League (a minor league) and the Africa League basketball.
Sitting on record television rights (around 73 billion euros from 2025 to 2036), it now seems ready to take the plunge in Europe. Perhaps in a hurry, according to Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business program at the Washington University of Saint-Louis, by rumors of “Formula 1 of basketball”: a global circuit that would try to create a group of investors advised by Maverick Carter, the former manager of Lebron James.
For Rick Burton, sports management teacher at the University of Syracuse, the NBA could anticipate the future of a globalized world: “We can reasonably conceive that one day franchises based in American medium -sized cities are replaced by world metropolises (…) (this project) is perhaps the starting point for something they have been thinking about for years.”
How to earn money?
The old continent, whose players shine in the NBA, and its metropolises represent a colossal market which remains largely to conquer. If the Euroligue, the first European competition, drains more spectators (10,383 on average per game in 2023-2024) and shines by the quality and suspense of its game, “All his clubs lose money“According to Philippe Ausseur, president of the National Basketball League (LNB).
The NBA, it estimates, according to several media at three billion euros per year, the income it could graduate in the long term, adding the Middle East, another land of growth identified. How, when the best players on the planet will always play on the other side of the Atlantic?
“NBA's marketing power remains incomparable“underlines Philippe Ausseur, for whom the American League”can enormously bring from the point of view of partnerships“, whose only majority in the Euroleague are Turkish Airlines or even BKT (Indian manufacturer of tires).
The Euroligue has not managed to attract leading broadcasters and withdraw significant television rights – of which it does not wish to give the amount. This represents a challenge for the NBA, according to Philippe Ausseur: “The television rights model is 'challenged' in Europe and it would be very dangerous to want to compare a country and a country continent.” “It's easy to find a broadcaster across the United States, in Europe you have to find 7 to 10 with different situations depending on the country “adds the president of the LNB.
With the big football clubs?
Another question posed by the project, likely to change, the will attributed to the NBA to rely on major European sports brands. If Real Madrid and Fenerbahçe are leading basketball clubs, the other Omnisport clubs surveyed, according to several media, would start from scratch: Manchester City, Arsenal and PSG, which admitted to having been approached and expressed a “brand of interest” – Even though Paris Basketball, playing in Euroligue, is in the midst of a sporting and extra -sports ascent.
“It's a bit of the NBA tropism: they see that major sports brands in Europe are football brands. But in basketball, there is only Real, Barça and a lesser degree Bayern“explains Philippe Ausseur, stressing that the orange ball”had not broken on the English market“. The ambitious London Lions project gave a long time and the English championship is experiencing serious financial difficulties.
What about the Euroligue?
Whatever the number of dredged clubs, the Euroligue is threatened by the NBA project, carried out in collaboration with the FIBA, the International Federation, its rival: the Euroligue, an almost closed private competition, was created in 2000 by the big clubs, which left its lap for financial reasons.
Can they, for the same reasons, make the opposite path more than a quarter of a century later? The 13 shareholder clubs renewed their partnership in January until 2036 until 2036 IMG sports marketing agency. But the EurOLIGUE told AFP that they had not all renewed their license to participate in the competition.
They have until June 2026 and the expiration of the previous agreement to do so. By then, can Fiba, Euroligue and NBA get along? “”I think it's the only way“told The team The boss of the Euroligue, Paulius Motiejunas, indicating that the American League had approached him for the first time in March 2024. Another meeting took place in mid-March.
“It remains time for the exchanges to happen and reason prevail“, wants to believe Philippe Ausseur, for whom “Everyone will be a loser“In the event of the creation of a new European competition. A fifth, after the Euroligue and the Eurocoupe, organized by the Euroligue, the Champions League and the European Cup by the FIBA.
[ad_2]
