NBA announces UK investment following European league launch date reveal.
The NBA and the UK government have announced a joint $13.5m (£10m) commitment to develop basketball in England.
Split evenly, the government’s $6.75m (£5m) will be allocated in 2026/27 to support multi-sport facilities which are accessible and designed to encourage wider participation. The NBA’s matched funding will run through to 2028, focusing on expanding grassroots programmes.
The announcement, published on September 17, marks the first time the UK government has invested in grassroots sports facilities outside of football, a move driven by basketball’s rising popularity across the country.
“Basketball is booming in Britain – and this investment will help take it to the next level, opening up the game to thousands more people right across the country,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“This is about more than sport – it’s about community, inclusion and inspiring the next generation to find their spark.”
According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, basketball is played weekly by 1.15 million people in the UK and ranks as the second-most popular sport among young people.
“The UK Government shares our commitment to using basketball to drive socioeconomic development and teach the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum.
“We thank them for their investment in facilities that will provide safe spaces for people of all backgrounds and abilities to learn and play the game, and we look forward to working more closely together in the years to come, including around the potential launch of a new pan-European league that would bring more world-class basketball to fans in the UK.”
A timely investment
Last week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed the long-anticipated NBA Europe league could launch as early as 2027 or 2028, speaking at a Front Office Sports conference.
The proposed league, developed in partnership with FIBA, would feature 12 to 16 franchises across Europe, each playing in their home cities.
A major factor driving the NBA’s expansion is the commercial gap in European basketball. George Aivazoglou, NBA SVP and Managing Director for Europe and the Middle East, highlighted the issue at SportPro Live earlier this year.
“European basketball today makes less than 1% of the European market share commercially,” he said. “Less than 1%, and it is the second most popular sport. So that in itself is a significant gap, and it’s significant for everybody in the ecosystem.”
The UK is seen as a key opportunity to close that gap, offering both commercial potential and a chance for government-backed growth.
This investment follows a recent meeting between Starmer and Silver, where both agreed to collaborate on expanding basketball in the UK and exploring future opportunities tied to NBA Europe.
The NBA is already increasing its presence in England ahead of the league’s launch, with regular-season games scheduled in London in January 2026 and Manchester in 2027. These events are expected to generate over £100m in economic impact, with both sides committed to exploring additional fixtures in the future.
