EuroLeague is the top men’s professional basketball club competition in Europe. It began in 1958 as the FIBA European Champions Cup, was renamed FIBA EuroLeague in 1996, and has been run by Euroleague Basketball since the 2000–01 season [1]. Its clubs hold long-term licences, so it is not a fully open promotion-and-relegation league [2]. In 2025–26 it grew to 20 teams [1].
Key points
- Started in 1958 as the FIBA European Champions Cup and renamed FIBA EuroLeague in 1996 [1].
- Organised by Euroleague Basketball since 2000–01, after a split between FIBA and clubs backed by ULEB [1].
- Since the 2009–10 season the licence system allows up to 16 long-term licences with no fixed-year limit, plus wild cards [2].
- Expanded to 20 teams in 2025–26 [1].
- Studied as an example of globalisation in professional basketball [3].
Origin
FIBA, basketball’s international federation, created the competition in 1958 as the FIBA European Champions Cup. It was renamed FIBA EuroLeague in 1996 [1]. In the summer of 2000 various top clubs backed by ULEB, after the split of 2000 with FIBA, launched their own top-tier competition, and Euroleague Basketball was founded. It has organised the EuroLeague since the 2000–01 season [1].
In 2008 the league announced a new licence system from the 2009–10 season. License A features long-term licences with no fixed-year limits for a maximum of 16 clubs, and Euroleague Basketball may grant two licences as wild cards [2].
How it works in sports media
The EuroLeague is run by its own organiser, Euroleague Basketball, rather than by a federation [1]. Because clubs keep long-term licences, the same clubs can return season after season [2]. In 2025 the league hosted its Final Four in Abu Dhabi, and in 2025–26 it expanded to 20 teams [1]. In a study that includes the EuroLeague, informants agreed that basketball has globalised and that the global broadcasting of NBA games helped this [3].
Examples
- The Final Four, the season-ending event, was hosted in Abu Dhabi in 2025 [1].
- Žalgiris was one of the clubs that joined the ULEB competition in 2000 [1].
- The 2008 licence reform created License A, B and C, and gave the EuroCup winner a one-year licence (License C) [2].
Common questions
Is the EuroLeague an open league?
It is described as semi-closed. Up to 16 clubs can hold long-term licences, and wild cards are given by the organiser [2].
Who runs the EuroLeague?
Euroleague Basketball, which was created for the 2000–01 season. Before that, FIBA ran the competition [1].
How many teams play in it?
20 teams, since the 2025–26 season [1].
Related terms
- Sports governing body — the kind of organisation FIBA is.
- Franchise model — a closed-league structure that the licence system partly resembles.
- Competitive balance — how evenly matched the teams in a league are.
- Sports media rights — how leagues sell their games to broadcasters.
- Sports event marketing — marketing of events such as the Final Four.
- Fan loyalty — why supporters stay with a club.
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Sources
- Wikipedia contributors (2026). EuroLeague. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuroLeague
- BallinEurope (2008). Euroleague now a semi-closed league. BallinEurope. https://www.ballineurope.com/the-euroleague-is-a-semi-closed-league-now/
- Chiba (2015). The glocalization and management of professional basketball leagues: the Euroleague, National Basketball League of Australia and bj-league of Japan. Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640599.2015.1077576