LONDON, Eng. – The NBA is again looking beyond American borders. Commissioner Adam Silver has set his sights on NBA Europe, a 16-team league that could reshape the sport’s global footprint. Premier league teams could become stakeholders in this project.
Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City Set to Join NBA Europe?
Talks began in late July and stretched into August. Silver and his top deputies met with executives from Real Madrid, Galatasaray, and Barcelona. The meetings signaled the seriousness of the league’s ambitions.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, the new league will include 16 teams. The NBA wants Real Madrid as its cornerstone. The Spanish powerhouse is one of EuroLeague’s “A” license holders, a guarantee of annual competition at Europe’s highest level. That license, however, expires in 2026. If Real Madrid signs on, other top EuroLeague clubs may follow. NBA Europe’s best chance at viability is supplanting Euroleague as the apex league.
London on the Map
The U.K. sits at the center of Silver’s strategy. In July, he met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Their talks came just ahead of January’s Global Games, which will bring Orlando and Memphis to London.
Silver envisions a permanent NBA Europe franchise in the city. With over nine million residents in London and 15 million in the greater metro area, the market speaks for itself. The city is also a hub for soccer money, particularly Middle Eastern sovereign funds.
Premier League Links
That connection brings England’s biggest clubs into the discussion. Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur all carry ownership ties that align with the NBA’s vision.
Chelsea’s American-led BlueCo group, fronted by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, already has baseball stakes. Guggenheim Baseball Management owns the Dodgers, with Chelsea co-owner Mark Walter at the helm. Adding an NBA Europe affiliate fits naturally into their growing portfolio.
Arsenal’s situation is just as clear. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Rams. Owning an NBA Europe team would not be a leap but a continuation of its strategy.
Tottenham, under Daniel Levy, brings another angle. Spurs’ stadium has already hosted ten NFL games, earning the reputation as the NFL’s home in the UK as part of a nine-year partnership, cementing ties to American leagues. Levy’s ambition to secure an NFL franchise has long been documented. The prospect of an NBA Europe team aligns with his approach. He clearly wants to expand the Tottenham brand.
The Northern Clubs
The so-called “big six” extends further north. Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool all have the resources, markets, and histories to join.
Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Penguins. A basketball club would be the missing piece. Echo Arena, once home to the Everton Tigers, already demonstrated demand for the sport. It seats 10,600 — smaller than NBA standards but close enough to prove the concept.
Manchester City’s links may be strongest. The Abu Dhabi United Group controls City Football Group, a vast network of soccer holdings. Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Mohammed Al Mubarak have hinted at adding basketball to their portfolios.
“Absolutely. Why not? I think we have showcased when we invest in sport, what that means to us,” Mubarak said last fall.”I think what the City Group has done, not just in Manchester itself, but throughout their range of investments, they’ve done a fantastic job in creating infrastructure both hard and soft in creating a talent pool with their academies. So is this [with the] NBA something that we would love to look into? Absolutely, but I think it’s a matter of finding the right opportunity and the right framework for us to work with the NBA in that regard.” Mubarak added. Abu Dhabi’s growing role in hosting NBA events only adds weight.
Manchester United also has history. The club owned the Warrington Vikings basketball team in the 1980s, rebranding it under the United name before selling in 1988. Reviving that legacy under NBA Europe would only boost the league’s credibility.
A League with Global Stakes
For the NBA, the calculation is straightforward. Europe offers markets rich in fans, infrastructure, and investment dollars. The Premier League’s elite clubs all carry ownership groups with global portfolios. All are comfortable expanding into new sports.
Silver knows the challenge. Building NBA Europe requires not only money but legitimacy. Convincing Real Madrid to join is the first domino. Aligning with England’s soccer giants could topple the rest.
The timing is deliberate. With expansion on U.S. soil cooling, the league is pushing outward. The NBA Europe project would not just expand basketball’s reach. It would test whether America’s model of franchised leagues can thrive in the heart of soccer’s domain.
What Comes Next For NBA Europe
The next year will be decisive. Meetings with clubs, investors, and governments will determine who joins first and under what framework.
For the Premier League teams, the lure is obvious. Prestige, global exposure, and another stream of sports revenue. For Silver, their participation signals validation.
NBA Europe is no longer an abstract idea. It is a project with investors, markets, and a timeline. If successful, it could become the league’s boldest expansion since its creation.
Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
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