# EuroLeague
The **EuroLeague** is the top-tier professional basketball club competition in Europe, organized by the private company Euroleague Basketball and known as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague under its sponsorship agreement.[1](https://www.euroleague.com/euroleague-basketball/) It was created in 2000 by the continent's leading clubs through ULEB, breaking from FIBA, the sport's world governing body, and it has since operated alongside FIBA's own club competitions in a divided European landscape.[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Decided by ULEB and leading clubs on 9 June 2000 in Sitges; inaugural game played 16 October 2000 in Madrid[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history) |
| Organizer | Euroleague Basketball, through Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA), majority-owned by 11 major clubs since 2009[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history) |
| Format (2025-26 onward) | 20 teams in a home-and-away round-robin of 38 rounds, then a Play-In Showdown, best-of-five playoffs, and a Final Four[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433) |
| Access model | Long-term licenses and wildcards rather than promotion through domestic leagues; FIBA's Basketball Champions League uses domestic performance for entry[4](https://www.sportsgoogly.com/euroleague-fiba-dispute/) |
| Financial rules | Competitive Balance Standards from 2025-26, with a 2025-26 Base Remuneration Level of €8,000,000 net per club[5](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/22965) |
| Enterprise value | Independent JB Capital valuation placed the league and its licensed teams at over €3.2 billion, with a projected €4.3 billion by 2026-27[6](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24034) |
| Planned expansion | Commitment to 24 teams for the 2027-28 season, with a permanent franchise model replacing 10-year licenses targeted for 2026-27[7](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24354) • [8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095) |
## Origins and the split from FIBA
FIBA first introduced the EuroLeague in 1958 as the continent's premier club competition.[9](https://boardroom.tv/nba-europe-euroleague-basketball-future/) In 2000, the leagues grouped in ULEB (Union of European Leagues of Basketball) and Europe's leading clubs decided to create and manage a new top-tier continental competition themselves, responding to an international ecosystem they judged commercially insufficient.[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history) • [10](https://as.com/opinion/el-baloncesto-como-laboratorio-del-futbol-cuando-fiba-llama-a-la-nba-f202602-n/) The inaugural game took place on 16 October 2000 in Madrid, and European basketball had two top-level competitions in the 2000-01 season, with FIBA operating a rival league for that year.[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history) • [11](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24292)
**Ownership consolidation.** ULEB managed the Euroleague and the ULEB Cup until 2009, when ownership transferred to Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA), a company majority-owned by 11 major European clubs; licensed clubs became equity holders.[2](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history) • [12](https://eb-advisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/EBAG-Report_21_The-Questions-for-the-Future-of-the-EuroLeague-Remain-No-Matter-the-CEO_FINAL.pdf) Euroleague Basketball now runs the EuroLeague, the BKT EuroCup, and the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague for under-18 teams.[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433)
## Competition format
The current format, adopted with the 2025-26 expansion from 18 to 20 teams, is a full home-and-away round-robin: every club plays every other club twice across 38 regular-season rounds, up from 34.[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433) The 2025-26 season therefore contains a minimum of 396 games, a figure that rises if playoff series are not swept.[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433)
After the regular season, the top six standings positions qualify directly for the playoffs, while teams finishing seventh through tenth contest the Play-In Showdown for the final two playoff spots.[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433) The playoffs are four best-of-five series, and the season ends with the EuroLeague Final Four.[3](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433) From the 2025-26 Final Four onward, the third-place game was removed, leaving two semifinals and a championship game.[13](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23369) The 2026-27 season keeps the same structure, tipping off on September 24, 2026, with Besiktas Istanbul entering in place of AS Monaco.[14](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24407)
## Governance and access
The EuroLeague is a closed competition in the sense that places are held through long-term licenses and wildcards rather than earned through domestic league results; 16 of its 20 places have been effectively guaranteed, with the remainder filled by wild cards.[4](https://www.sportsgoogly.com/euroleague-fiba-dispute/) This contrasts with FIBA's competitions, the [Basketball Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/basketball-champions-league) and the FIBA Europe Cup, which are entered through domestic league performance.[4](https://www.sportsgoogly.com/euroleague-fiba-dispute/) • [15](https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/59035/the-organisation-future-strategy-of-the-euroleague-basketball-competition) The two systems have produced long-running tensions over overlapping calendars, club incentives, and legitimacy claims, and both FIBA and Euroleague Basketball have lodged complaints with the European Commission accusing each other of abusing a dominant position.[15](https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/59035/the-organisation-future-strategy-of-the-euroleague-basketball-competition) • [16](https://www.baerkarrer.ch/userdata/files/publications/2025/basketball-jonas-guertler.pdf)
**Toward franchises.** The league is transitioning from its 10-year license system to a permanent franchise model, targeted for completion by the 2026-27 season, a change intended to enhance long-term stability and increase asset value.[8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095) Clubs have also reaffirmed a commitment to expanding the EuroLeague to 24 teams for the 2027-28 season while preserving the principle that every team plays every other team.[7](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24354) More than 10 clubs and markets submitted letters of interest ahead of an expansion exploration phase launched in July 2026.[8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095)
## Financial regulation and economics
The EuroLeague's Competitive Balance Standards (CBS), in force from the 2025-26 season and to be fully implemented by 2027-28, sit within the league's Financial Stability and Fair Play framework.[13](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23369) The system is anchored on the Average Licensed Clubs Defined Revenues (ALCDR), the combined game-day, commercial, and other revenues of licensed clubs over a three-season period, set at €19,489,944 for 2025-26.[5](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/22965) The Base Remuneration Level, the net amount any club may spend on registered players' remuneration excluding defined exceptions, was set at €8,000,000 for 2025-26, and a Competitive Balance Compensation mechanism redistributes funds collected from clubs exceeding the level to compliant clubs at season's end.[5](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/22965)
**Distribution and valuation.** In 2026 the ECA Board approved the first major update to the economic distribution model in over two decades: licensed clubs retain 65% of net broadcast revenues generated in their own markets, with the remaining 35% shared equally, while 75% of the league commercial pool is distributed by sporting performance, fan engagement, and historical results.[8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095) Club distributions grew 18% year on year in 2025-26, and the league projected a further double-digit increase for 2026-27.[8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095) An independent valuation by JB Capital placed the combined enterprise value of the league and its licensed teams at over €3.2 billion, with individual clubs valued from over €60 million to more than €320 million, and projected €4.3 billion by the 2026-27 season if the strategic plan and franchise transition are executed.[6](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24034)
## The NBA Europe challenge
In March 2025, NBA commissioner [Adam Silver](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-silver) formally announced the NBA's intention to explore launching a league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA.[17](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2025/03/27/la-nba-annonce-explorer-la-possibilite-de-lancer-une-ligue-en-europe-l-heure-est-venue_6586845_3242.html) A proposed 16-team league of 12 permanent franchises and four merit-based slots linked to the Basketball Champions League has been described as a structural experiment in hybrid governance, mediating between the EuroLeague's shareholder-driven commercial autonomy and FIBA's redistribution-oriented model.[18](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2026.1841860/full) Euroleague Basketball's management has described ongoing discussions with the NBA about potential collaboration, while the league's own expansion and franchise plans have been framed as a response to the threat of a rival competition.[8](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095) • [19](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2025/05/23/l-euroligue-de-basket-en-quete-de-stabilite-et-sous-la-menace-d-une-arrivee-de-la-nba-en-europe-organise-son-final-four-a-abou-dhabi_6607940_3242.html) The situation has been compared to the 2000-01 schism, when the EuroLeague's launch left FIBA running a rival competition for a year.[20](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1804377/euroleague-nba-fiba-a-new-schism-in-european-basketball/)
## References
1. [Euroleague Basketball home, EuroLeague](https://www.euroleague.com/euroleague-basketball/)
2. [History, European Basketball Leagues (EBBL)](https://www.europeanbasketballleagues.eu/history)
3. [EuroLeague unveils 2025-26 season calendar, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23433)
4. [EuroLeague vs FIBA: Two Governing Structures, One Sport, Sportsgoogly](https://www.sportsgoogly.com/euroleague-fiba-dispute/)
5. [Euroleague Basketball Introduces Competitive Balance Standards for 2025-26 Season, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/22965)
6. [JB Capital valuation report, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24034)
7. [ECA Board decisions, June 2026, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24354)
8. [Competition Format and Economic Distribution Among Key ECA Board Decisions in Barcelona, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24095)
9. [Inside the NBA's push to launch a European league, Boardroom](https://boardroom.tv/nba-europe-euroleague-basketball-future/)
10. [El baloncesto como laboratorio del fútbol: cuando FIBA llama a la NBA, AS](https://as.com/opinion/el-baloncesto-como-laboratorio-del-futbol-cuando-fiba-llama-a-la-nba-f202602-n/)
11. [EuroLeague Championship Game appearances, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24292)
12. [The Questions for the Future of the EuroLeague, European Basketball Advisory Group](https://eb-advisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/EBAG-Report_21_The-Questions-for-the-Future-of-the-EuroLeague-Remain-No-Matter-the-CEO_FINAL.pdf)
13. [2025-26 EuroLeague and EuroCup Season Teams and Calendar Confirmed, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/23369)
14. [The 2026-27 EuroLeague schedule is official, EuroLeague Media Centre](https://mediacentre.euroleague.net/en/app/2/communication/communication/preview/24407)
15. [The Organisation & Future Strategy Of The Euroleague Basketball Competition, Birkbeck, University of London](https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/59035/the-organisation-future-strategy-of-the-euroleague-basketball-competition)
16. [Basketball governance analysis, Bär & Karrer](https://www.baerkarrer.ch/userdata/files/publications/2025/basketball-jonas-guertler.pdf)
17. [La NBA annonce « explorer la possibilité » de lancer une ligue en Europe, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2025/03/27/la-nba-annonce-explorer-la-possibilite-de-lancer-une-ligue-en-europe-l-heure-est-venue_6586845_3242.html)
18. [Integration without decoupling? Hybrid governance and the proposed NBA-FIBA European League, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2026.1841860/full)
19. [L'Euroligue de basket organise son Final Four à Abou Dhabi, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2025/05/23/l-euroligue-de-basket-en-quete-de-stabilite-et-sous-la-menace-d-une-arrivee-de-la-nba-en-europe-organise-son-final-four-a-abou-dhabi_6607940_3242.html)
20. [EuroLeague - NBA - FIBA: A new schism in European basketball, Eurohoops](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1804377/euroleague-nba-fiba-a-new-schism-in-european-basketball/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › European and transnational club basketball*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license