Paris Basketball Set for Permanent EuroLeague Status
Paris Basketball is among the clubs selected by the EuroLeague to become a permanent franchise starting next season, rmcsport.bfmtv.com reported.
The decision could be made official in late November, according to the Agence France-Presse. The move follows reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport confirming Paris among the candidates slated for long-term inclusion.
Shareholder Approval Pending in November
Thirteen current shareholder clubs must still approve the transition during a board of directors meeting scheduled for late November. Those existing stakeholders will see their long-term licenses, which previously ran until 2036, automatically convert into franchise agreements next year.
The competition itself will expand from 20 to 24 teams as part of the structural shift. Paris Basketball currently competes in its third EuroLeague campaign as an invited participant.
New Franchises Enter Markets for Entry Fees
Alongside Paris, new permanent franchises are slated to go to Valencia, Dubai, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maxima Roma, and PAOK Thessaloniki in exchange for an entry fee. The EuroLeague announced in mid-October that it received 15 legally binding offers valued at 1.2 billion euros for these expansion slots.
Remaining teams will participate via invitations or multi-year licenses. The league already projects a further expansion to 28 or 30 teams by 2032.
Shareholders Reject NBA Collaboration for 2027 League
EuroLeague shareholder clubs unanimously rejected an offer on October 6 to collaborate with the NBA regarding a planned European league launch in the autumn of 2027. Eight of the 12 targeted metropolitan areas for that projected league already host an existing EuroLeague club, including Paris, Lyon, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, and Milan.
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