Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

NBA Plans 16-Team Europe League, Revenue Split Disputed

5/7/2026

28 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The NBA announced a 16-team NBA Europe league to start in fall 2027.
The league will have 12 franchises and four merit-based spots from domestic competitions.
Teams must pay a sliding-scale licensing fee based on market size and arena upgrades.
Negotiators dispute a reported 52%-48% revenue split favoring the NBA, which the league denies.
The NBA also rejected a soccer-style transfer window allowing European clubs to buy active NBA contracts.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 the NBA added its first non-U.S. clubs, the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies, who together selected 27 players (14 and 13) in that year’s expansion draft. That cross-border success set a precedent for the league’s ongoing market experiments, such as the 2026 Board of Governors vote to explore new franchises, underscoring interest in further overseas ventures.

1 of 2

Story summary

The NBA announced a 16-team NBA Europe league to start in fall 2027.
The league will have 12 franchises and four merit-based spots from domestic competitions.
Teams must pay a sliding-scale licensing fee based on market size and arena upgrades.
Negotiators dispute a reported 52%-48% revenue split favoring the NBA, which the league denies.
The NBA also rejected a soccer-style transfer window allowing European clubs to buy active NBA contracts.

1 / 2