The NBA’s European Expansion Is Just Getting Started

By: Jordan Kaplan

February 16, 2026

Photo Credit: Associated Press

The NBA has been one of the fastest-growing international sports over the last two decades. In the 1980s, former commissioner David Stern began focusing on international countries and expanding the NBA’s audience. The league has continued to pursue European and Asian countries and has made quite a lot of progress, making basketball the third most popular global sport.

A majority of the international growth can be attributed to Stern’s goals as well as the 1992 USA Dream Team. Stern had the vision of one day creating an NBA Division in Europe and increasing international revenue. Their presence in the Olympics, with names like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson, spearheaded international growth for the NBA as their games were broadcasted in 69 countries. Since Stern’s pursuits, the NBA has grown all the way up to being the third most popular global sport with an estimated 2.3 billion fans worldwide. It’s also estimated that around 75% of NBA TV viewers are located outside the United States. The NBA also has the highest following of any professional sports league with over 210 million followers worldwide. 

For the 2026 NBA season, the league had two games slated to be played in Europe. On January 15th, the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic played in Berlin, Germany,  on January 18th, the two teams played again in London. These games were put in place to give European fans the chance to see an NBA game live to be broadcast all over Europe. These two games generated record-breaking viewership. The overall combined content produced over 350 million views across social media platforms. Average viewership in both countries has also increased this year as there is a 246% and 312% increase in NBA viewership on Amazon Prime in Berlin and London respectively. Furthermore, the game in London was also the most watched NBA game in the UK. 

As the European games for the 2026 season come to a close, the NBA is already looking into their overseas plans for 2027. The league plans to host a game in Manchester for the first time along with a game in Paris. They hope to carry over the momentum from the last few years. Additionally, the NBA is partnering with FIBA to develop their European league in late 2027 with the help of investors. The league would include 12-16 teams featuring European clubs. They plan to focus on key cities like London, Paris, Barcelona, and more. They’re also considering partnering with well-established clubs that have soccer teams in order to strategically bring in the most fans. The NBA’s goal is to continue to drive European fandom and excitement about the NBA.

The NBA has significant plans for the European market in both the present and near future. As they gear up to start their European league, the NBA maintains their position with a few games in European countries each year. A lot is in store for the NBA in Europe in the next couple of years, and it’s all following David Stern’s original plan from decades ago.