PAOK is among the basketball clubs that have received pre-approval for franchise status in the Euroleague, Europe's top pan-European club competition, Euroleague chief executive Chus Bueno announced.
Bueno told team and shareholder representatives that he had received more than twelve binding offers, signed by both clubs and investors, to join the competition as franchises from the 2027-28 season, according to the Greek news agency ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ.
What franchise status means for Euroleague clubs
The Euroleague is the leading club basketball competition in Europe, running alongside national domestic leagues and featuring teams from across the continent. Under the franchise model being discussed, clubs and investors would secure guaranteed long-term participation in the competition in exchange for membership fees and infrastructure commitments.
Bueno said the binding offers guarantee revenues of more than 700 million euros in fees, including a membership fee that varies depending on the size of a club's market within European basketball. He added that the offers also guarantee 3.2 billion euros in infrastructure investment.
The binding agreements involve several clubs and cities, among them Valencia, Dubai, PAOK, Paris, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Partizan and Red Star.
Vetting process and next steps
Bueno explained that the prospective new clubs and investors have already passed an initial review by the Euroleague's board of directors, which examined their capability, financial solvency and competitiveness to operate as franchises within the competition. Final approval will come from the board of shareholders at the end of September, when the new franchise clubs will be selected.
Format change and expansion plans
The Euroleague is likely to change its competition format from the 2027-28 season, splitting into two regions because of the growing number of participating teams. The Euroleague's board of directors presented the expansion plan to club and shareholder representatives in Barcelona. NBA Europe has separately announced 2027-28 as the season it plans to launch.
Citing the plan, the Spanish outlet Marca reported that the Euroleague is reinforcing and protecting its seven largest markets while strategically adding new cities such as London, Rome and Naples to what it described as its unstoppable expansion. Marca said the move allows the Euroleague to strengthen its position in the seven most important markets in European basketball: Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Great Britain, broadening its reach and reinforcing its dominance across the continent.
