The Paris Basketball club stands among four frontrunners poised to secure a permanent franchise license in a major European competition expansion, according to reporting by BasketNews and Encestando. Led by David Kahn, the club’s bid represents a turn of events that would cost several tens of millions of euros, aligning with the foundational ambitions of its leadership to permanently anchor the French capital at the summit of European basketball while new investors and a capital opening are discussed to cover losses, sustain the project, and pay the permanent entry ticket. Paris would thus join LDLC ASVEL—already a shareholder assured of keeping its status—as French permanent entities, though on-field results remain mixed for now.
Financial Requirements for Permanent Expansion
Euroleague has outlined a ten-year strategic plan distributing 3.4 billion euros across participating teams, anchored by 1.2 billion euros generated through entry fees from 12 to 15 incoming clubs over the next four years. These clubs submitted financial offers to integrate as full shareholder franchises, with entry rights starting at a floor of 50 million euros per club subject to individual negotiations according to Donatas Urbonas. Paris Basketball and Valencia Basket face entry costs set at 50 million euros each, payable in multiple installments with an initial payment due in December. Concurrently, Dubai BC faces a 70 million euro fee, while PAOK Thessaloniki anticipates a 130 million euro contribution backed by the club’s billionaire owner. The total entry cost for these four initial incoming clubs will reach 300 million euros.
Admission Timelines and Contender Status
Initial admissions for the first four clubs—comprising Paris, Valencia, Dubai, and PAOK—could be formalized as early as the beginning of November, based on reports from the Spanish outlet Encestando. The attribution of permanent licenses is scheduled across three stages, running through a first wave of approval at the end of 2026, followed by another in early 2027 and a final phase approaching the summer of 2027. Other traditional European contenders face distinct financial hurdles. Crvena Zvezda and Hapoel Tel Aviv target the second admission phase scheduled for the spring or summer. Additional applicants include Naples, two newly established clubs in Rome, the London Lions, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Aris Thessaloniki, while Zenit Saint-Petersburg remains sidelined by international sanctions stemming from the war in Ukraine.
Competition from Emerging Transatlantic Proposals
These expansion efforts intersect with ongoing negotiations involving the National Basketball Association regarding a potential joint venture. Reporting from BasketNews indicates that the NBA opposes an expansion to 24 teams, favoring a more compact tournament model if an agreement materializes. The NBA’s preliminary framework outlines a 12-team competition featuring a franchise in Paris, potentially associated with Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, BeBasket noted that the EuroLeague project aims for a 24-franchise structure featuring 21 permanent licenses, running parallel to potential competition from a proposed NBA Europe initiative anticipated for October 2027.
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