NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in 2025 that the NBA would begin to work with the International Basketball Federation to expand into Europe. Now his plans are beginning to take shape.

October of 2027 is the planned start date for this new league. The main eight cities reportedly under consideration for inclusion are Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome.

Silver reportedly wants 10 to 12 teams and hopes to merge with some existing European teams to fill the league.

The NBA will benefit greatly from this, and it may just launch basketball to be one of the most popular sports globally.

A parallel can be drawn with soccer. It is the most viewed sport globally but has lacked viewership in the U.S. It is quickly gaining popularity, however, due to influencers from other countries showcasing it here in America. This goes to show just how much impact some publicity can have on a sport’s popularity.

American sports reaching out overseas is not unheard of, especially for the NBA. The league has played several games overseas in locations like China. 

The NFL, meanwhile, had seven regular season games in five overseas locations just this past season. Due to this, the NFL’s international viewership has increased 32% this year. 

The NBA is a powerful and experienced organization that will most definitely increase the sport’s popularity if given the chance to govern a European league.

For American fans, an entire new base of players will be unlocked. There is exciting new talent in the NBA every year, and familiar players with over 20 seasons under their belt. But a new environment and possibly play style would feel exciting and intrigue a lot of fans.

Overall, this move will benefit both U.S and overseas fans of basketball and bring more popularity to the sport.