Why authenticity is key to US sport succeeding in Europe Sport Business The NBA London 2026 game is not another overseas exhibition. It is the clearest signal yet that US sports leagues are no longer treating Europe as a touring destination, but as a long-term growth market with serious commercial intent. And that shift matters. The window to engage early with the next generation of global sports [...]
Did NBA in London prove to brands European basketball is viable? Sport Business During one of the timeouts at the London NBA match between Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies, two fans played a game of tic-tac-toe. Only instead of noughts and crosses, the playing pieces were two basketball-themed Revolut cards. Onlookers shouldn’t have been surprised; sponsors rarely get the chance to show off to a London audience [...]
NBA’s European show dazzles on and off court but new league is no slam dunk Sport Business No one disputes that NBA Europe represents a big opportunity but the lack of detail around 18 months from launch is tempering excitement. The mascots for the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic descended from the O2’s ceiling, celebrities dotted the courtside seats, and the NBA reported a sell-out for its first game in London for [...]
NBA Europe suffers setback as Barcelona eye EuroLeague extension January 13, 2026 The NBA’s plans to launch a new basketball league in Europe next year appear to have suffered a setback after Barcelona reportedly decided against signing up to the ambitious project. Barcelona, one of the continent’s most successful and prestigious teams, were among the established names courted by the NBA and its advisors JPMorgan and Raine [...]
Exclusive: O2 Arena open to hosting NBA Europe after record-breaking year December 30, 2025 The owners of London’s O2 Arena have insisted they have enough days in their calendar to host a NBA Europe franchise in the capital should the league launch in 2027. The US basketball league is exploring the possibility of setting up a European equivalent, tapping into major football club brands this side of the pond. [...]
NBA return to pump £100m into economy as London gears up for 2026 December 29, 2025 NBA’s two-year return to the UK is expected to boost the economy by £100m as top flight basketball ends its six-year hiatus. Memphis Grizzlies will host Orlando Magic at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in January 2026 before Manchester’s Co-op Live hosts its first regular season NBA match in 2027. Between the two matches the UK [...]
EuroLeague CEO: ‘NBA Europe is not needed. We’ve been here for 25 years’ October 29, 2025 EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas is on bullish form. European basketball is a hot topic and his organisation, which runs the competition home to continental giants such as Real Madrid and Panathinaikos, has just begun a new season in good shape. It has a new main sponsor in Etihad Airways, a new deal with Adidas and [...]
NBA franchises jump in value as two top $10bn October 17, 2025 NBA franchises have increased in value by 20 per cent to an average $5.51bn, according to the Sportico 2025 NBA Valuation Report. The data shows the continued growth in the North American league, a league where the lowest-valued team – the Memphis Grizzlies – are worth a colossal $4bn. But the Golden State Warriors have [...]
NBA matches to be staged in China for first time since 2019 October 10, 2025 China will host NBA matches for the first time since 2019 this weekend after six years of being frozen out due to a dispute over Hong Kong. One of the basketball league’s managers stated their support for pro-democracy protestors in Hong Hong back in 2019 and China has since held a hard line on matches [...]
Picture exclusive: NBA meets Starmer for encouraging talks at No10 August 1, 2025 NBA chiefs are understood to have been encouraged by a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this week in which they discussed plans to launch a European league. Starmer hosted NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum at No10 Downing Street on Wednesday during an ongoing tour of Europe by the [...]