EuroLeague

EuroLeague

EuroLeague

Highest-tier professional men's club basketball competition in Europe


The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe.[3][4] The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given long-term licences and wild cards,[5] making the league a semi-closed league.[6][7] The league was first organized by FIBA in 1958, subsequently by ULEB in 2000 and then solely by Euroleague Basketball.

Quick Facts Organising body, Founded ...

The competition was introduced in 1958 as the FIBA European Champions Cup (renamed the FIBA EuroLeague in 1996), which operated under FIBA's umbrella until Euroleague Basketball was created for the 2000–01 season. The FIBA European Champions Cup and the EuroLeague are considered to be the same competition, with the change of name being simply a re-branding. Since 2010, it has been sponsored by Turkish Airlines.

The EuroLeague is one of the most popular indoor sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 10,383 for league matches in the 2023–24 season. This was the fifth-highest of any professional indoor sports league in the world (the highest outside the United States), and the second-highest of any professional basketball league in the world, only behind the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The EuroLeague title has been won by 22 clubs, 15 of which have won it more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Real Madrid, with 11 titles while CSKA Moscow follow with 8 and Panathinaikos with 7.

History

The FIBA European Champions Cup was originally established by FIBA and it operated from 1958 until the summer of 2000, concluding with the 1999–00 season. Euroleague Basketball was created after the end of the FIBA European Champions Cup.

FIBA had previously used the flying pigeon name for the competition since 1996 but had never trademarked the name. As FIBA had no legal recourse on the usage of the name, it started a new league named the FIBA SuproLeague. The following 2000–2001 season started with two top European professional club basketball competitions: FIBA SuproLeague (renamed from FIBA EuroLeague) and Euroleague.

Top clubs were split between the two leagues: Panathinaikos, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow and Efes Pilsen stayed with FIBA, while Olympiacos, Kinder Bologna, Real Madrid Teka, FC Barcelona, Paf Wennington Bologna, Žalgiris Kaunas, Benetton Treviso, AEK and Tau Cerámica joined Euroleague Basketball.[8][9]

In May 2001, Europe had two continental champions, Maccabi of the FIBA SuproLeague and Kinder Bologna of the Euroleague. Both organizations realized the need to come up with a unified competition and Euroleague Basketball negotiated terms and dictated proceedings which FIBA agreed to their terms. As a result, European club competition was fully integrated under Euroleague Basketball's umbrella and teams that competed in the FIBA SuproLeague during the 2000–01 season joined it as well.

The authority in European professional basketball was divided over club-country lines. FIBA stayed in charge of national team competitions (like the FIBA EuroBasket, the FIBA World Cup, and the Summer Olympics), while Euroleague Basketball took over the European professional club competitions. From that point on, FIBA's Korać Cup and Saporta Cup competitions lasted one more season and then Euroleague Basketball launched the ULEB Cup, now known as the EuroCup.

League era

In November 2015, Euroleague Basketball and IMG agreed on a 10-year joint venture. Both Euroleague Basketball and IMG will manage the commercial operation, and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing.[10] The deal was worth €630 million guaranteed over 10 years, with projected revenues reaching €900 million.[11] Along with the deal the league changed into a true league format, with 16 teams playing each other team in the regular season followed by the playoffs. The A-licensed clubs were assured of participation for the following ten years in the new format. After the new format of the EuroLeague and FIBA implementing national team windows, a conflict between the two organizations emerged. EuroLeague has been criticised by FIBA as well as several national federations for creating a 'closed league' and ignoring the principle of meritocracy. In July 2019, EuroLeague announced that from the 2019–20 season there will be no direct access to the league through domestic leagues anymore.[12]

Title sponsorship

Since July 2010, Euroleague has been sponsored by Turkish Airlines. In a five-year €15 million deal, starting in the 2010–11 season, the competition was named 'Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball'. The agreement included an option to extend it for another five years.[13][14] The option was activated in October 2013, extending the sponsorship deal until 2020.[15]

Names of the competition

A EuroLeague game in 2019.
  • FIBA era: (1958–2001)
    • FIBA European Champions Cup: (1958–1991)
    • FIBA European League: (1991–1996)
    • FIBA EuroLeague: (1996–2000)[16]
    • FIBA SuproLeague: (2000–2001)
  • Euroleague Basketball era: (2000–present)
    • Euroleague: (2000–2016)
    • EuroLeague: (2016–present)

*There were two competitions during the 2000–01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball.

Competition systems

Tournament systems

The EuroLeague operated under a tournament system, from its inaugural 1958 season, through the 2015–16 season.

  • FIBA European Champions Cup (1958 to 1986–87): The champions of European national domestic leagues, and the then current European Champions Cup title holders (except for the 1986–87 season), competing against each other, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with either a single game final, or a 2-game aggregate score finals (3 games if needed to break a tie).
  • FIBA European Champions Cup (1987–88 to 1990–91): The champions of European national domestic leagues, competing against each other, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a Final Four.
  • FIBA European League (1991–92 to 1995–96): The champions of the European national domestic leagues, the then current European League title holders, along with some of the other biggest teams from the most important national domestic leagues, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a Final Four.
  • FIBA EuroLeague (1996–97 to 1999–00): The champions of the best European national domestic leagues, along with some of the other biggest teams from the most important national domestic leagues, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a Final Four.
  • *Euroleague (2000–01): Some of the European national domestic league champions, and some of the runners-up from various national domestic leagues, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a best of 5 playoff finals.
  • *FIBA SuproLeague (2000–01): Some of the European national domestic league champions, and some of the runners-up from various national domestic leagues, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a Final Four.
  • Euroleague (2001–02 to 2015–16): The champions of the best European national domestic leagues, along with some of the other biggest teams from the most important national domestic leagues, played in a tournament system. The league culminated with a Final Four.

*There were two competitions during the 2000–01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball.

League system

Starting with the 2016–17 season, the EuroLeague operates under a league format.

  • EuroLeague (2016–17 to present): The champions of the best European national domestic leagues, along with some of the other biggest teams from the most important national domestic leagues, playing in a true European-wide league system format. The league culminates with a Final Four.

Format

The setting of the 2014 EuroLeague Final Four in Milan

Starting with the 2016–17 season, the EuroLeague is made up of 18 teams, with each playing every other team twice (once at home and once away) in a double round robin league regular season, for a total of 34 games played by each team.[citation needed]

The top eight placed teams at the end of the regular season advance to playoffs, each playing a five-game playoff series against a single opponent. The regular season standings are used to determine which teams play each other, and in each pairing the higher placed team has home-court advantage in the series, playing three of the five games at home. The winners of each of the four playoff series advance to the Final Four, held at a predetermined site. The Final Four features two semi-finals, a third place game, and the championship game, all on the same weekend.[citation needed]

Each team plays a maximum 41 games per season: 34 in the regular season, a maximum of 5 during the playoffs, and 2 in the Final Four.[citation needed]

Qualification

Currently (and since the suspension of Russian teams because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine[17]), 12 out of the 18 EuroLeague places are held by licensed clubs that have long-term licenses with Euroleague Basketball, and are members of the Shareholders Executive Board. These twelve licensed clubs are:

       

The remaining six EuroLeague places are held by associated clubs that have annual licences, of which one has a two-year wild card, three have one-year wild-cards and two are the finalists of the previous season's 2nd-tier European competition, the EuroCup. From the 2020–21 season, however, if the better of the two teams from the EuroCup makes it to the playoffs, it keeps the place for the following year.[18]

European professional basketball club rankings

Current clubs

These are the teams that participate in the 2025–26 EuroLeague season:

Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv teams Maccabi Hapoel
Tel Aviv teams
Maccabi
Hapoel
Location of teams from the Middle East in 2025–26 EuroLeague

Results

  1. 1958–2001: FIBA European Champions Cup
  2. 2001–Ongoing: EuroLeague
More information #, Year ...

Team statistics

Titles by club

Titles by nation

More information Rank, Country ...
  • Countries marked with an asterisk no longer exist.

Records

EuroLeague awards

Season statistical leaders

All-time leaders

Since the beginning of the 2000–01 season (Euroleague Basketball era):

More information Average, Accumulated ...

Individual performances

Attendances

Season averages

All averages include playoffs and Final Four games.

More information Season, Total gate ...
  1. Season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four games, for different reasons, were played under closed doors and are not included in this table.

Historic average attendances

This list shows the averages attendances of each team since the 16-team regular season was established in 2016. All averages include playoffs games.

More information Season, ALB ...

Individual game highest attendance

[citation needed]

More information Rank, Home team ...

Note: Match between Panathinaikos and Barcelona on 18 April 2013, at OAKA Sports Center, was supposedly watched by about 30,000 spectators.[48] However, it is not included in the table as the official data is 18,300.[49]

As of 4/4/2023 Partizan holds 10 games in top 10 most attended games.[citation needed]

Media coverage

The EuroLeague season is broadcast on television, and can be seen in up to 201 countries and territories.[50] It can be seen by up to 245 million (800 million via satellite) households weekly in China.[51]

EuroLeague basketball has been televised in the United States through the ESPN family of networks since 2023, starting with the playoffs of the 2022-2023 season.[52] It was also televised in the United States and Canada on NBA TV and available online through ESPN3 (in English) and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) until the 2017–2018 season. Starting with the 2017-2018 Final Four playoffs, and continuing into the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, the coverage moved to FloSports,[53] before returning later to the ESPN networks.

The EuroLeague Final Four is broadcast on television in up to 213 countries and territories.[54] The EuroLeague also has its own internet pay TV service, called EuroLeague TV.

Broadcasters

This is a partial list of television broadcasters that provide coverage of the EuroLeague.

More information Country/Region, Broadcaster ...

Sponsors

Source:[59]

See also

Men's competitions

Women's competitions

IWBF Basketball


References

  1. "Champions Cup 1958". linguasprt. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  2. WINNER Monaco. "ULEB History". ULEB. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. dineshkachhwaha. "Super League: Siutat provides feedback from basketball on closed leagues". The Indian Paper. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. ballineurope (7 July 2008). "Euroleague now a semi-closed league". BallinEurope. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  5. "Basket Euroleague Men". www.allcompetitions.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  6. "Linguasport - Sport History and Statistics". 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. "Euroleague Basketball A-licence clubs and IMG agree on 10-year joint venture". Euroleague Basketball. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  8. "630 millions guaranteed by IMG". Eurohoops. 11 November 2015.
  9. "The EuroLeague changes in the summer of 2020". Eurohoops. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  10. "Turkish Airlines And Euroleague Basketball Sign Strategic Partnership Agreememt" (Press release). Euroleague Basketball. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  11. "An important strategic partnership agreement between Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball..." (Press release). Turkish Airlines. 26 July 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  12. "Turkish Airlines, Euroleague Basketball Cement Partnership Through 2020". turkishairlines.com. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  13. "ECA Shareholders Meeting officially tips off the 2019-20 season". Media Centre (Press release). Euroleague Basketball.
  14. "Efes to play in new arena in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season". basketnews.com. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  15. "Palau Blaugrana". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 7585
  16. "Buesa Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 15431
  17. "Belgrade Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 18386
  18. "Unipol Forum". www.legabasket.it. Retrieved 11 September 2024. Capienza 12700 posti
  19. "Ülker Sports and Event Hall". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 13000
  20. "LDLC Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 12523
  21. "Astroballe". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 5556
  22. "Peace and Friendship Stadium". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 12300
  23. "OAKA Altion". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 18300
  24. "Adidas Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 8000
  25. "Accor Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 15705
  26. "Belgrade Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 18386
  27. "WiZink Center". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 15000
  28. "Virtus Segafredo Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 8900
  29. "I Luoghi Del Basket Bolognese" [Sites of Bolognese Basketball] (in Italian). Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  30. "Žalgirio Arena". feeds.incrowdsports.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024. capacity: 15415
  31. "Partizan sets crowd record at Belgrade Arena!". Euroleague.net. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  32. "Radivoj Korac's 99 points". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. 3 October 2024.
  33. "101 Greats: Radivoj Korac". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. 3 October 2024.
  34. "European club champions: 1958–2014". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. 3 October 2024.
  35. "30.000 κόσμος στο "κλειστό"!" (in Greek). Gazzeta. 18 April 2013.
  36. "Fenerbahce-Madrid Game of Week sets new TV reach record". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. 3 October 2024.
  37. "ESPN to bring the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to U.S. audience". Euroleague Basketball. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  38. "FloSports Acquires EuroLeague Basketball Rights in North America". FloSports. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  39. "Record broadcast reach for 2017 Final Four!". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. 3 October 2024.
  40. "EuroLeague live: where to watch?;". Basketnews.com. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  41. "TV Listings - EuroLeague". euroleaguebasketball.net. May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  42. "Basketball live bei MagentaSport". magentasport.de. Retrieved 16 May 2024.

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