EuroLeague is preparing the Super Cup as a new introduction to the season and part of a broader transformation of European club basketball
EuroLeague is entering a new phase of expanding its commercial and sporting product, and one of the projects being prepared for the next period is a new preseason competition that should open the season. Euroleague Basketball CEO Jesus “Chus” Bueno, in an interview with Eurohoops, presented the Super Cup as a new competitive and media tool that would further strengthen the position of EuroLeague’s system in European club basketball. According to information published by Eurohoops after the Euroleague Commercial Assets meeting, the competition’s management is discussing a preseason cup for four teams in a two-day format, with a possible launch mentioned for 2026 or 2027. The host, exact name, participation criteria and final sporting format have not yet been officially confirmed, so the project can currently be described as a plan in the final stage of development, rather than as a fully adopted competition. Still, the fact that the proposal was presented as part of a broader strategic plan shows that EuroLeague is trying to open the season with an event that would be recognizable, commercially usable and short enough to fit into an already congested basketball calendar.
The Super Cup as a new showcase for EuroLeague’s system
According to the description reported by Eurohoops, the new preseason cup is envisioned as a competition with four teams and a two-day schedule, which points to a short tournament model. Such a concept fits the ambition to create a separate event with a clear television and commercial identity before the start of the regular season, without placing too great a burden on the clubs. In its interview with Bueno, Eurohoops stated that the Super Cup should mark the start of every season, while a later report on the ECA meeting spoke of continued negotiations with potential host cities.
The most important unknowns remain the criteria for selecting participants. The original text suggests that the competition could rely on the best clubs from EuroLeague’s system, but the available information does not confirm whether the EuroLeague champion, the EuroCup winner, a Final Four finalist, the best regular-season clubs or teams selected according to marketing and hosting criteria will play in it. Euroleague Basketball, in its statements about the plan so far, has not presented a final list of participants, nor has it specified whether the new cup will have the official trophy status equal to other competitions in its portfolio. That is why, at this stage, it is crucial to distinguish the announcement of the project from a final decision on its rules. According to the available information, a formal review and approval are expected at one of the next ECA meetings.
The project comes after EuroLeague’s expansion to 20 clubs
The announcement of the Super Cup does not come in isolation, but after a season in which EuroLeague changed the size and rhythm of its competition. Euroleague Basketball previously announced that from the 2025/2026 season the competition had been expanded to 20 clubs, while the regular season was increased from 34 to 38 rounds. The official announcement stated that the participants included Dubai Basketball, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, Valencia Basket, Paris Basketball, Partizan, Crvena zvezda, Virtus Bologna and other clubs, alongside traditional standard-bearers such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahçe and Maccabi. The expansion brought a greater number of games, a broader market reach and stronger pressure on calendar organization, especially because clubs compete in national championships alongside EuroLeague. In that context, a short preseason competition may be an attempt to add a new commercial highlight to the season without introducing a long format.
The official calendar for the 2025/2026 season began on September 30, 2025, and Euroleague Basketball stressed at the time that the expansion to 20 clubs would bring more high-level games. At the same time, adjustments related to FIBA national-team windows were introduced, so games during November were moved to Tuesday and Wednesday in order to make it easier for players to participate with their national teams. This shows how sensitive the European basketball schedule is and how carefully every new project must be positioned. Because of its planned short duration, the Super Cup could be more organizationally acceptable than an additional league or cup competition with several rounds. But precisely because of the congested calendar, it will be important to see how clubs, coaches and players react to another official event before the start of the main season.
Bueno wants growth in business, audience and club value
Chus Bueno took over the leading executive role at Euroleague Basketball at the beginning of 2026, after Euroleague Basketball announced that he would replace Paulius Motiejunas. The official announcement stated that Bueno would lead the organization’s overall strategy with an emphasis on business growth, improving the game and the fan experience, and expanding into new markets and audiences. His professional profile is important for understanding the Super Cup announcement: he is a former Barcelona and Valencia basketball player, former CEO of the Spanish Basketball Federation, former NBA vice president for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and a manager who has worked in sports business, digital platforms and content commercialization. That is precisely why the new idea does not appear only as a sporting addition, but as part of a broader attempt to position EuroLeague more strongly as a media and business product.
In the interview with Eurohoops, Bueno claimed that a series of processes had been launched in the first months of his term, from changes in revenue distribution to the development of a direct-to-consumer digital strategy. In the same interview, he said that the Super Cup is one of the new commercial assets that the leadership created in a short period, which shows that the competition is also viewed through the lens of value for sponsors, media partners and clubs. According to that logic, the Super Cup could have a role similar to major preseason sporting events in other competitions: it would not replace the main season, but it would increase the league’s visibility at a time when clubs are presenting new rosters, coaches and ambitions. If it is organized in different cities, it could also become a tool for testing new markets. If it remains tied to a permanent host, it could develop as a recognizable annual event.
The franchise model and expansion toward new markets
After the ECA meeting on June 9, 2026, Eurohoops reported that the board had again confirmed the transition of the existing ten-year license holders toward a franchise model from the next season. According to the same report, the process for new franchises and markets should formally begin by July 1, and the plan is for EuroLeague’s expansion from the 2027/2028 season to include a larger number of teams or cities through the granting of new franchises. The text mentioned Rome, London and Berlin as examples of interest, alongside existing clubs, investment groups and individual investors. That does not mean that all those cities will enter the competition, but it shows the direction in which EuroLeague is seeking growth: toward larger markets, more stable ownership structures and greater predictability for investors.
The same report stated that the licenses of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Fenerbahçe Beko had been extended, while talks with Real Madrid were still ongoing. This detail is important because it shows that EuroLeague simultaneously wants to consolidate the existing pillars of the competition and open the door to new projects. If the Super Cup fits into the franchise model, it could become additional value for clubs investing in long-term presence in the system. For potential new members, the preseason cup could be a stage for presenting markets and infrastructure. For existing clubs, it will be important that the new event does not disturb sporting balance or create the impression that participation criteria are based primarily on commercial appeal.
EuroCup is also expanding and getting a new format
The Super Cup is only one part of a package of changes. According to the report Eurohoops published after the ECA meeting, the BKT EuroCup should be expanded to 32 teams, divided into four groups of eight. Sixteen clubs should advance to the playoffs, while the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final would be played in best-of-three series. This is a significant change for the second competition in EuroLeague’s system, because it increases the number of participants, broadens the geographical base and gives more clubs an opportunity to move closer to the top of continental basketball.
According to the model presented, the EuroCup should combine long-term licenses, access through standings in selected domestic leagues and one-year invitations. Such a hybrid model attempts to reconcile investor stability and sporting openness, which has been one of the key issues in European basketball for more than two decades. If domestic champions or the best-placed clubs in national leagues get a clearer path toward the EuroCup, EuroLeague’s system could reduce criticism that it is too closed. On the other hand, long-term licenses and franchises show that commercial predictability remains the main goal. In such an environment, the Super Cup could turn into the final promotional element of the entire portfolio: EuroLeague, EuroCup and younger competitions that Euroleague Basketball wants to present as a unified ecosystem.
Pressure from the NBA and FIBA is changing the European scene
European club basketball is currently also changing because of external pressure. The NBA and FIBA officially announced that they are exploring the possibility of creating a new professional men’s league in Europe, and a later announcement stated that talks would continue with potential clubs and ownership groups. According to NBA and FIBA statements, the model under consideration would include permanent places, but also an annual qualification path based on sporting results through FIBA competitions or an additional qualifying tournament. For EuroLeague, this is a strategic challenge, because a possible NBA/FIBA league would open a battle for clubs, cities, investors, media rights and fan attention. That is exactly why announcements of franchises, EuroCup expansion and the Super Cup should be viewed as part of an effort by Euroleague Basketball to strengthen its own position before a possible restructuring of the continental market.
According to information reported by Eurohoops after the ECA meeting, Bueno also informed club representatives about talks with several stakeholders, including domestic leagues as well as the NBA and FIBA, ahead of a meeting in Geneva on June 10, 2026. That sentence shows that EuroLeague is no longer operating only within its own system, but must negotiate with organizations that have global influence and a different vision of development. In such a situation, the Super Cup may seem like a smaller project compared with franchises or the expansion of the number of clubs, but its symbolic value is not negligible. A competition that opens the season can send a message of stability, continuity and confidence. It may also be an attempt to occupy media space before the start of the main part of the season that could otherwise belong to announcements of competing projects.
Sporting value will depend on the rules and participants
For fans and clubs, the key question will not only be whether the Super Cup exists, but what it means from a sporting perspective. If the winners of the most important competitions or the best-placed teams from the previous season take part, the tournament could gain clear sporting weight and the status of a prestigious introduction to the season. If participants are selected according to invitations, markets or hosting interests, the Super Cup could be more of a promotional event than a competition with deep sporting criteria. Both models have logic, but they send different messages. EuroLeague will therefore have to explain whether the new trophy will reward results, expand the brand in selected cities or attempt to combine those two functions.
Another question concerns the timing. The preseason is a period in which teams are often only just being formed, national-team players are returning from summer competitions, new coaches are introducing systems, and clubs are adjusting player workloads. The right balance will probably depend on the prize fund, participation criteria, television rights, player registration rules and the way the winner will be presented in the official history of the competition. Those details have not yet been publicly confirmed.
Commercial potential and the risk of additional burden
From a business perspective, the Super Cup offers several advantages. A short format is easier to sell to television partners, it can be organized in an attractive city, it does not require long-term logistics and it can be used to promote the new season. If the best-known European clubs take part, the event could attract an audience even before the start of the regular season. For sponsors, it would be an additional platform; for the host, an opportunity to attract sports tourism; and for EuroLeague, a chance to develop another product outside the classic league schedule. Bueno has repeatedly highlighted business growth and the fan experience as priorities, so the Super Cup fits into his broader strategy.
The risk, however, is that European clubs already play a large number of games. EuroLeague with 20 clubs has 38 rounds of the regular season, followed by the play-in, playoffs and Final Four, while most clubs simultaneously compete in national leagues and cups. An additional official event before the start of the season can increase travel, marketing obligations and pressure on players. That is why the success of the Super Cup will depend on whether it is organized early enough, briefly enough and clearly enough for clubs to accept it as value rather than a burden. If it is positioned as an elite two-day event with a limited number of games, it could be an acceptable compromise. If in the future it expands without a clear sporting reason, it could intensify already existing debates about the overcrowded calendar.
The next decisions should clarify the format
According to the information available as of June 10, 2026, EuroLeague’s Super Cup still does not have an officially confirmed final format, list of participants or host city. Still, the idea is concrete enough to be mentioned in public statements by the CEO and in reports from meetings of governing bodies. The most realistic framework for now is a four-team tournament over two days, with a possible launch in 2026 or 2027. The decision on whether the Super Cup will be a strongly competitive or primarily promotional project will determine its long-term value. In any case, the plan confirms that EuroLeague is no longer developing only the regular season and the Final Four, but is building a broader calendar of events with which it wants to increase commercial strength, club stability and its own influence at a time when all of European basketball is preparing for possible new divisions and alliances.
Sources:
- Eurohoops – interview with Chus Bueno on the development of EuroLeague, EuroCup, franchises and the planned Super Cup (link)
- Eurohoops – report on the ECA meeting of June 9, 2026, EuroCup expansion, the franchise model and the new preseason cup (link)
- Euroleague Basketball – official announcement of the appointment of Jesus “Chus” Bueno as Euroleague Basketball CEO (link)
- Euroleague Basketball – official confirmation of the clubs and calendar for the 2025/2026 season and EuroLeague’s expansion to 20 clubs (link)
- NBA Communications – official announcement by the NBA and FIBA on exploring a new professional men’s league in Europe (link)