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Buendía: NBA will come, collaboration needed to boost revenue by 100%
🇬🇷 Greece /Sports

Buendía: NBA will come, collaboration needed to boost revenue by 100%

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Sources not specified Context piece
  • EuroLeague CEO Jordi Buendía advocates for collaboration with the NBA to boost the sport's revenue and growth.
  • He believes a partnership is the best path forward, rather than competition, to avoid market fragmentation.
  • Buendía envisions a joint venture to attract investment and enhance the European basketball market, which currently lags behind football.

Jordi Buendía, CEO of the EuroLeague, is pushing for a strategic partnership with the NBA, arguing that collaboration is essential for the future growth and financial success of European basketball. In a podcast interview, Buendía stated that a joint venture would allow both organizations to achieve significantly more together than as competitors. "The NBA is coming. If we want to increase revenue by 100%, we must collaborate," Buendía declared, emphasizing his clear stance on the league's future. He noted that while some EuroLeague club owners were initially hesitant about NBA involvement, he believes this is not the right approach. "If the NBA is coming and bringing in billions of dollars and is extremely successful in managing its business, why should we be afraid? Instead, we must explore this possibility," he urged. Buendía is confident that NBA Europe will materialize, with ongoing discussions about cities, sponsors, and other details. He stressed the importance of being open to this opportunity. "If there are two leagues, then we will have to compete. That's okay, but competition leads to market fragmentation. If we can avoid this fragmentation, and I believe it is my responsibility, from the position I hold, to avoid it, let's try," he said. His vision for a potential collaboration involves uniting the 13 EuroLeague teams and their respective markets to collectively seek partners. The capital raised could compensate long-term staff and provide working capital, while also refreshing the league's image. Buendía highlighted the vast potential of the European sports media market, valued at $125 billion, where football dominates with 92% of revenue. Basketball, he noted, captures less than 2%. "If basketball has, let's say, 10% of football's fan base, why don't we create media value that approaches that 10%?" he questioned, suggesting a significant untapped opportunity.

The NBA is coming. If we want to increase revenue by 100%, we must collaborate.

— Jordi BuendíaStating his belief in the necessity of a partnership between the EuroLeague and the NBA.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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