NBA Europe franchise sales top $1 billion as London and Paris lead the bid

The NBA plans to launch a new European circuit in October 2027 with 12 permanent franchises. Bids for the franchises are due this week, and investment interest has been described as “tremendous.” London and Paris franchises are expected to exceed $1 billion each, while Istanbul is also among the 12 candidate cities.

The league’s equity will be split 50/50 between the NBA and the owners of the initial franchises. Most league revenue will flow to the teams through fixed distributions and performance payments, and the NBA will fund early operational losses. Potential buyers include sovereign wealth funds, major soccer clubs, private‑equity firms and wealthy individuals. “There are a lot of existing teams from the ecosystem… all of them want to be a part of NBA Europe,” said George Aivazoglou, managing director of NBA Europe.

The franchise sales aim to raise billions of dollars, which will be used for the league’s balance sheet, marketing, staffing and reserves. The selected cities span Western Europe, with London, Paris, Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Lyon, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich and Rome in the shortlist.