With the announcement of the NBA bringing six games to Europe over the next three years, it may prove to be a litmus test for the league’s intended European league.
The NBA is set to bring six regular season games to Europe over the next three years, as part of its push to grow the game internationally.
The first will take place on January 15, 2026, when the Memphis Grizzlies face Orlando Magic at Berlin’s Uber Arena. This marks the league’s first ever regular season game in the German capital.
Three days later, the two teams will meet again in London’s O2 Arena for the 10th NBA regular season game in the city.
Looking ahead, the NBA will visit Manchester and Paris during the 2026/27 season, followed by return fixtures in Paris and Berlin in 2027/28. The Manchester game will be held at the new Co-op Live arena, while the Paris leg will again take place at the Accor Arena.
“Announcing the next three season’s regular-season games in Europe reflects the incredible momentum and appetite for NBA basketball in France, Germany, the UK and across the region,” said NBA Managing Director, Europe and Middle East, George Aivazoglou.
“We look forward to welcoming the Grizzlies and the Magic to Berlin and London and to engaging fans, players and the local communities through the games and the surrounding events.”
The announcement marks the NBA’s first game in London since the 2018/19 season, and its first in Manchester since 2013. Paris, meanwhile, last hosted a regular season fixture in January 2025.
The value of Europe to the NBA
Europe has become an increasingly valuable market for the NBA, with many of its best players – including Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama – hailing from the continent.
During a meeting with FIBA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver estimated there are up to 270 million basketball fans in Europe with a media market value estimated to be more than $20bn.
The Orlando Magic’s inclusion in the 2026 Berlin game will come as no surprise to eagle-eyed NBA fans. The team features German brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. Both the Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies will be looking to boost their visibility and fan engagement in Germany and the UK through the European games.
“To have the Orlando Magic and the NBA play a regular-season game in our hometown of Berlin means everything to us,” said Franz and Moritz Wagner in a joint statement.
“Growing up here, we dreamed of moments like this. It’s a huge honor to represent Berlin and Germany and show how much the city and country love basketball. We hope we can inspire kids the way we were inspired watching games from afar.”
Testing ground for NBA Europe league?
The NBA has made no secret of its ambitions to grow its operations within Europe, with Silver floating the idea of launching a dedicated European league.
During a meeting with FIBA during the Paris Olympics, Silver said his time in the French capital reminded him “there’s enormous opportunity here”. His comments came amid a surge of elite talent emerging from Europe, including Wembanyama, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly – all first round picks in the last three NBA drafts.
By March 2025, those ambitions took a formal step forward when Silver confirmed the NBA’s interest in working with FIBA to create a Europe-based league. Since then, top European football clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interest in launching basketball teams, eyeing potential entry into the new competition.
With the NBA holding games in Paris and London in the next few years, this may put the wheels in motion for the expanded NBA European league sooner rather than later.
