Some structure...

If you can't tell by now, Euroleague and NBA are two separate beasts, and it's time we point out and talk about one of the main differences. Euroleague hosts a collection of teams from different domestic leagues (from many of the European countries), and is very similar in concept to Champions League. That means there are different teams each year who compete and that there are entries to compete; a MUCH different structure than the NBA. We learned on our field study to the headquarters about qualifications and scheduling logistics... but here's a brief reminder.

Qualifications are given on a basis of:


- Performance in the previous season's domestic league
- Performance over the previous two or three domestic seasons
- Contracts with ULEB
- The winner of the previous season's Eurocup receives a place


They can be given Class A, B, or C licenses. These are granted in accordance with financial performance, TV deals, and league performance.

Above: A picture of then rookie Dirk Nowitzki, famously acquired on draft day 1998 by Don Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks in what is now widely accepted as the greatest draft-day trade of the last twenty years.  At the time, the deal was considered somewhat questionable throughout the league as there had not yet been any standout European ballers worthy of a lottery pick.  Historically, Nowitzki will go down as the greatest European NBA player to date, and one of the greatest forwards in the history of the game.

Noah

One of the most interesting and apparent differences within the culture of the two leagues: merchandising and branding.  Naturally, with such universal clubs as FC Barcelona taking membership in the Euroleague, team branding is inevitable and welcomed.  However, unlike the NBA where jersey and apparel sales are monumental, merchandising is essentially nonexistent in the Euroleague culture.  It is extremely uncommon for a player to be popular enough for his jersey to be frequently purchased, even amongst fans actually attending games.  There are many factors combining for this (primarily one-year contracts make purchasing jerseys risky, for example) however the greatest input behind this difference is a cultural one.  Euroleague basketball clubs have no expectation of merchandising sales, and for this reason do not force the issue and place little emphasis on this revenue stream.  One can only imagine that as the Euroleague gains popularity and momentum through Europe, jersey sales will become slightly more common, but there will always be more Messi jerseys available in Barcelona than anything else, for example.

What other factors might lead to the lack of merchandising for Euroleague?  Do you think there are any significant cultural differences between United States commercialism and European commercialism?  Maybe the individualistic culture of the United States plays a role...

Any thoughts are much appreciated!

Noah

Interesting Global Basketball 60 Minutes

Ended Up having a solid, championship filled career. (with the Bulls obviously)

Mikey

Euroleague Broadcasting

Although it has not taken off to a popularity stand point of the NBA or UEFA for that matter, but it is still popular in over 160 countries around the world.  The link below includes all of the broadcasting stations, pretty impressive actually.
Are you impressed??

Broadcasting List

Mikey

As you have probably guessed by now, the Euroleague does not exactly have an equivalent revenue stream comparable to that of the NBA.  In fact, the Euroleague takes in only a fraction of the money that the NBA sees annually.  With that said, the Euroleague has established some very legitimate marketing partnerships with companies respected globally.  The Euroleague is in the midst of its second year of a five-year contract with its primary partner, and namesake, Turkish Airlines.  The contract gives Turkish Airlines extensive rights, including the extremely unique advantage of technically naming the competition Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball.  It is not common for a company to actually involve itself in the renaming of a league's brand, and as such Turkish Airlines and Euroleague basketball are essentially synonymous.  Included in the contract is also the rights to global sponsorship for the Eurocup.  From a more athletic lens, Nike is the official gameball of all basketball competition held by the organization, as well as gaining the naming rights to the Nike International Junior Tournament.  This partnership is obviously very attractive for both sides: just another outlet for Nike to put their brand on, but an opportunity for the Euroleague to attach itself with the world's most recognizable athletics manufacturing brand.  Additionally, the junior tournament rights are very significant as it provides a legitimate (thanks to the Nike name) forum for young international players to gain exposure on a greater stage.  Interesting amongst its main partners are Bwin and Efes Pilesener, respectively a sports gambling organization and an alcohol manufacture.  As seen with different football clubs throughout Europe, alcohol sponsorships have sometime proven to be more of a hassle then they are actually worth (for both the club and the company). Additionally, the concept of intentionally connecting yourself, as a league, to a gambling facilitator is questionable (at least by United States standards) and something that the NBA would certainly never be interested in.

Obviously, the NBA and Euroleague seek out entirely different sponsors when seeking revenue.  Perhaps out of necessity, perhaps out of culture, it seems as though the motives of Euroleague are a far cry from that of the NBA.  I'm curious to hear what people have to say about both the organized betting sponsorship as well as the alcohol manufacture sponsorship, both somewhat questionable by traditional moral standards.  Additionally, do you-the viewer-feel as though something is taken away from the Euroleague name by adding the Turkish Airlines precursor?  Any comments are much appreciated!

Noah

Due to the debt certain teams put themselves in by buying players that they can't afford, the legal council for the Euroleague is implementing a maximum spending rule set specifically for each team.  What do you think about that given that smaller market teams will now have even cheaper players than before, thus making it hard for them to reach the peak of success in the league.

?? Mikey

"Euroleague Basketball is seeking to strengthen principles that ensure good financial practices to protect the integrity and smooth running of the competition, as well as to increase the long-term financial health of its participating clubs. Euroleague Basketball and its clubs understand that the global objective of this project is to increase the stability of the competition, through the optimization of management methods and budgetary control. 

The main criterion that falls under these principles is the break-even rule, which calls for clubs to commit to not spending more than what they generate in economic activity. "

New league budget Restrictions

College Basketball

As I'm sure we all can't wait for March Madness to begin, we should take a moment to emphasize the effect that organized college basketball has on the NBA and the lack of college basketball in Europe. NCAA basketball is huge in many aspects. It attracts a diverse fan base, fosters an immense pool of talent (that filters straight into the NBA), and generates immense amounts of revenue. The presence of such an organization puts a spotlight on future players. Before playing in the NBA, many of the best players already play on a huge stage and are thus already well known. They can be stars before they ever play a professional game. No amateur level of basketball exists like this in europe and in this aspect Euroleague is a great disadvantage in comparison to the NBA

- Michael Spetner

Two great Euroleague Players going head to head.

-Mikey Mintz

"Finesse" Croatian forward Toni Kukoc schooling brutish Knicks hall of fame Center 

Patrick 'Chewing' Ewing

Spread of Euroleague, viewing in America

Euroleague, similar to many other European leagues, have teams that are part of a Club.  And by that I mean that their name, crest, and management are all part of one organization.  For example, 2 of the Euroleague teams are Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona.  However, the F.C. Barcelona team site is simply the football team's site with a hard to find link to the basketball team, thus taking away the possibility for fans to learn about the team and even buy tickets.  On the other hand the F.C. Barcelona Club has a huge football fan base which can therefor transfer to basketball when a football game isn't on.

Any thoughts?
Mikey Mintz

Euroleague Team Site

Why is NBA more popular?

Only founder 12 years later than the NBA, why does the Euroleague struggle so much to gain popularity?

What are some key aspects that makes the NBA, besides talent, better than the Euroleague?

Turkish Bulls Center, Omer Asik

A Little Bit About the Euroleague... and the NBA (in case you don't already know)

So what is Euroleague?

Turkish Airlines Euroleague, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is named Turkish AirlinesEuroleague. The competition is operated by ULEB, a Europe-wide consortium of leading professional basketball leagues. During the season, the Euroleague is broadcast on television in 191 countries and can be seen by up to 245 million (800 million via satellite) households weekly in China. It is also televised in the United States and Canada on NBA TV and available online through ESPN3. The Euroleague Final Four is broadcast on television in 197 countries.

Thanks Wikipedia!

For here for more:

And what about the NBA?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada. It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues. NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Thanks again Wikipedia!

Click here for more

Hey world. You've come to the internet's best resource for an enlightening view on the differences between the NBA and Euroleague. Here, we'll provide updates on current events from the basketball worlds of Europe and the US, give history of each organization, analyze and compare the regulations, governance, and financial model of each system, and finally debate the overarching issues and controversies from each league. Check back with us frequently for an enticing blend of opinion and fact, and don't be shy to share your opinion with us!

Love,

Our authors:  Michael, Mikey, and Noah