Real Madrid has sealed its continuity in EuroLeague for another ten seasons, until 2036, pending formal ratification by the competition, according to several Spanish media reports. The Spanish club was the last of the 13 shareholders still to secure its future before its current agreement expired on June 30, a move that allows the competition to complete its core group of clubs before opening a new corporate phase.
Real Madrid’s decision comes at a key moment for Euroleague Commercial Assets -ECA-, the company that manages EuroLeague’s business operations, which is expected to move from July 1 towards a franchise system or permanent licences for its members. The club, the most decorated team in European basketball with 11 continental titles, closes a process in which the rest of the competition’s shareholders had already secured their continuity.
EuroLeague completes renewal of its 13 shareholders
The ownership group is made up of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Baskonia, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahçe, Olimpia Milano, Maccabi, Zalgiris, Bayern Munich, Asvel Villeurbanne and CSKA Moscow. The Russian club retains its shareholder status, although it does not play in the competition because of its exclusion linked to the war in Ukraine.
EuroLeague’s planned transformation would make those licences permanent and increase exit clauses far beyond the current level of around €10 million. Published reports suggest that the cost could be multiplied by four or five, and could even reach the region of €100 million once the new franchise model is activated.
New model raises the cost of leaving the competition
That change would also open the door to new members that are not currently part of ECA’s shareholding structure. EuroLeague is studying the incorporation of a small group of additional clubs into the new permanent licence model through significant entry payments, with Valencia Basket among the candidates identified in published reports. Its case fits that possible expansion because it is not part of the group of 13 shareholders, but is viewed as one of the projects that could gain a stable place in the future franchise structure.
The move comes as the National Basketball Association -NBA- maintains its intention to develop a European competition alongside the International Basketball Federation -FIBA- from October 2027. EuroLeague and the NBA are still holding talks over the future of continental basketball, although the continuity of the 13 shareholders reduces the immediate room for the alternative project to attract Europe’s leading clubs. “Fragmentation dilutes value and creates friction, and that is bad for business,” said Chus Bueno, the new CEO of Euroleague Basketball, during the Final Four in Athens in May.
NBA Europe remains on the horizon with FIBA
The next step will come on Friday, when the EuroLeague Board is due to address Real Madrid’s renewal and shape the competition and calendar for next season. In principle, the format would remain a 20-team regular season with 38 rounds, with the possible inclusion of Besiktas in place of AS Monaco, which would move down to the EuroCup, before final approval by the assembly expected in the first half of July.
EuroLeague also still has on the table a later expansion in the number of teams and a possible conference format from the 2027-28 season, while EuroCup will move to 32 participants. In parallel, the European project involving the NBA and FIBA continues with a model that has not yet been finalised, but is oriented towards a 16-team competition, with a majority of permanent places and an annual qualification route for clubs from FIBA-affiliated national leagues, either through the Basketball Champions League -BCL- or a qualifying tournament.
Last related articles
