Man Utd urged to make 'huge move' into $50 BILLION NBA Europe project as more Premier League clubs are tipped to follow Real Madrid & Barcelona with own basketball teams

The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Olympiacos already boast basketball teams in their respective sporting stables, with English superpowers being told to join the party. The NBA is ready to provide investors with financial projections and other key information, with meetings that bring potential sponsors, media partners and investors to the table expected to take place before the end of January.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest NBA betting, Professor Dr Rob Wilson - Director of Executive Education at University Campus of Football Business in London and a Professor of Applied Sports Finance - said: “From a sports finance perspective, Manchester United's entering NBA Europe could be a huge move. United is one of the world’s most powerful sports brands, worth billions (around $8 billion) in equity and global reach. Attaching that brand to a new NBA Europe franchise creates immediate commercial upside for both parties.

“NBA Europe is being pitched as a solution to a European basketball market currently valued in the low hundreds of millions against an estimated $50 billion broader opportunity, meaning there is a huge gap between current value and potential commercial monetisation.

“United’s involvement instantly elevates broadcast appeal, sponsorship interest, and merchandising pathways because global partners will pay ahead of scale when a club with United’s footprint is involved. The upside is that the club diversifies income beyond football with a high-growth vertical that leverages NBA media rights and fan engagement, and the league gains one of the planet’s most bankable sports brands to drive early adoption and valuation.”

Dr Wilson went on to say when asked to pick out the football clubs that could get involved with an NBA franchise: “Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, given their links to Olympiacos through owner Evangelos Marinakis and their existing netball franchise. Celtic, without question, with Rangers and Hibs running behind, but I would almost say Hibs before Rangers. After Forest, I do wonder about Leeds United and Arsenal, given their owners, followed by Chelsea and then Liverpool, in that order. Manchester City is an outside bet.”

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He added on how NBA icons such as LeBron James - who holds a minority stake in Liverpool - and Steph Curry could help to accelerate basketball’s growth in the UK, with NFL business already booming: “NBA London functions differently from the NFL’s presence in the UK because basketball has far more room to grow from a smaller base.

“The NFL has achieved televised schedule success and regular-season games in London that underpin steady growth, whereas basketball is still a niche sport in the UK and wider Europe.

“However, that means there is upside potential that the NFL does not have and any increase in basketball’s share of the sports entertainment wallet is incremental ‘new value’ rather than redistribution of existing value.

“For local clubs like the London Lions, the arrival of NBA franchises, high-profile games featuring global stars, and an expanding NBA ecosystem can be largely beneficial rather than cannibalistic.

“It raises the sport’s profile, draws new interest into domestic leagues and increases sponsorship appetite because brands can attach to a broader narrative arc including grassroots to elite pathways.

“The leverage of global icons like LeBron James or Steph Curry in marketing and events can accelerate this process and create commercial opportunities that were previously constrained by limited visibility.

“The real risk is managing the balance between global spectacle and local development so teams like the Lions can capture a share of the rising economic pie without being overshadowed by an imported product.”

United, who already have ambitious plans in place when it comes to a Premier League title win by 2028 and the construction of a new stadium, will likely explore the possibility of branching out into basketball circles. Their Glazer family ownership group already oversee events at NFL franchise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Existing NBA owners are said to have shown interest in buying stakes in European teams, with it being suggested that any investors will be able to spread purchase costs across several years.