![\"London](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/London-Lions.jpg\")
\t\tLondon Lions want to join EuroLeague when it expands to 24 teams in 2027\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tMonday 06 July 2026 3:45 pm
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tMonday 06 July 2026 3:18 pm\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\tLondon Lions want to join EuroLeague when it expands to 24 teams in 2027\t<\/p>\n
London Lions are in talks to buy an expansion franchise in EuroLeague basketball when the continent\u2019s premier competition adds four new teams next year.<\/p>\n
London is a priority market for EuroLeague as it advances its plans to grow to 24 teams for the 2027-28 season \u2013 part of a comprehensive rearguard action<\/a> against the NBA\u2019s own ambitions to launch a European league<\/a> with new franchises in underserved markets like the UK.<\/p>\n Domestic champions London Lions have taken the first steps to bolstering their credentials by securing a place in the second-tier EuroCup for the coming season but, backed by Lithuanian tech billionaires<\/a>, have set their sights on a place in the top competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno told City AM that the club, which has plans to build the UK\u2019s biggest dedicated basketball arena in the capital, is one of several potential buyers for the London EuroLeague franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn the case of London, we have the interest of the London Lions, just to be clear. They want to become franchisees, they said it already,\u201d Bueno said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut also we have two more investors that are interested. For me, London is a big market, everyone wants to have London, we see an acute opportunity \u2013 it\u2019s a no-brainer, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Bueno warned, however, that there was \u201cmore risk\u201d in establishing a franchise in London, given that basketball is less established as a spectator sport here.\u00a0<\/p>\n One option that has been raised by stakeholders is for the London Lions \u2013 or whoever takes the London EuroLeague franchise \u2013 to play in a domestic league other than Britain\u2019s Super League Basketball<\/a> to give it a better chance of attracting elite players and strong crowds.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe franchise value could be \u20ac80m-\u20ac100m, but it\u2019s more in terms of the operations for us,\u201d said Bueno.\u00a0\u201cThe domestic league is not as competitive as other European domestic leagues. If you tell top talent that you\u2019re going to play in a small college arena, 800 people, it\u2019s not very compelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThen in terms of the sponsorship and gate revenues, how are you going to bring a package that is only 15 home games that are worthy, and the other 15 games with an extremely low attendance? It\u2019s very complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueno also ruled out having multiple EuroLeague franchises in London or, in contrast to the plans for NBA Europe<\/a>, a team in Manchester.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just looking for one in London. We need to test it and prove it. But for us, Manchester is way too risky,\u201d he added.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s a smaller city \u2013\u00a0 a little bit more than half a million, with the whole suburbs it\u2019s 2.5m, with two big [football] teams that are religions there.\u00a0I hope we have good basketball in Manchester, don\u2019t get me wrong, but our perspective is: let\u2019s try to figure it out first and learn, and then we can see other places.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n