Manchester United’s potential entry into NBA Europe shows a greater push to diversify income.
Manchester United has reportedly agreed to establish a basketball team as part of the NBA’s planned European league.
The new competition, known as NBA Europe, is expected to launch in 2027 as the league’s first permanent expansion outside North America.
The initiative aims to combine elite European clubs under the NBA brand, creating a franchise‑based system which complements existing domestic leagues while opening new commercial opportunities across the continent.
Italian Basketball Federation President Gianni Petrucci told Corriere dello Sport that the initiative will “be good for the system, bringing resources and entertainment,” while ensuring clubs continue to participate in their domestic competitions.
“In a $50bn market, European basketball has a commercial value of just $200m,” Petrucci said. “An NBA league is precisely the opportunity to increase competitiveness and expand the pool. If Manchester United, the most popular football team in the world, has already said yes, there must be a reason.”
The development follows earlier comments from George Aivazoglou, NBA SVP and MD for Europe, made during a panel at SportsPro Live this year which Insider Sport attended.
Aivazoglou explained football clubs could enter franchises in NBA Europe, highlighting Manchester United as a potential participant and noting the league’s strategy to leverage football brands to accelerate basketball’s growth.
Why Manchester United would be interested
The attraction for United comes in the form of diversifying revenue streams and expanding its global reach. The Premier League club is already regarded as one of the biggest in the world, but a basketball arm could tap into new markets, broaden its fan base and strengthen its commercial footprint even more.
According to Forbes, United is valued at $6.6bn, second only to Real Madrid and ahead of Barcelona at $5.65bn.
The club’s desire to grow revenue streams is evident as it explores redevelopment plans around Old Trafford, with negotiations ongoing over land valuations.
In addition to building a state‑of‑the‑art home for the football team, modern stadium projects have increasingly become a way to diversify income by hosting non‑football events. Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium, for example, recently staged Conor Benn’s win against Chris Eubank
It isn’t just Manchester United which would benefit from the deal either, as suggested by Aivazoglou. Partnering with football clubs offers a shortcut to brand recognition for NBA Europe, as clubs like United already boast global loyalty, meaning basketball can attract football fans with minimal marketing effort.
Manchester United would not be the first European football giant to embrace basketball. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona both operate elite basketball teams competing in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague. Bayern Munich runs a successful basketball division in Germany, while LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in France has ties to Paris Saint‑Germain.
In Turkey, Fenerbahçe has a strong basketball arm, and in Greece, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos field top‑tier teams.
