The NBA’s proposed European competition continues attracting interest from potential investors, with some franchises expected to command valuations reaching $1 billion.
Eric Menell, global co-head of sports at JPMorgan, discussed the financial expectations surrounding the project during Sportico’s Invest London event.
“I have the highest degree of confidence we will hit $1 billion for franchises in certain markets, a true $1 billion,” he said at Sportico’s Invest London event on Tuesday.
The NBA is targeting a 2027 launch for its European league and has been exploring potential partnerships with major football organizations, established basketball clubs and outside investors.
Menell indicated that discussions are already underway with several categories of prospective participants.
“We have ongoing discussions with a variety of constituents, including global football brands with basketball teams, global football brands without basketball teams, existing EuroLeague teams, and third parties that just want to participate. I have a high degree of confidence that we’re going to hit the benchmarks that we set out.”
The proposed competition is expected to proceed even without an agreement with EuroLeague, whose shareholders have rejected the NBA’s current offer.
The financial expectations surrounding NBA Europe also demonstrate the level of investment the league hopes to attract.
However, projected franchise valuations do not represent completed transactions, and the final composition of the competition has not been announced.
