EuroLeague clubs could face up to €200m exit fee under new franchise model
Franchise shift and the rising cost to leave
The EuroLeague has confirmed it is moving toward a franchise-style setup, keeping its 13 shareholder clubs — including top names — inside the competition for now. A big consequence of that shift is that walking away will suddenly be extraordinarily expensive. What used to be a relatively modest opt-out clause (roughly €10 million plus damages today) is being reworked so that the exit price could climb dramatically.
Early talks suggested an increase to about €100 million, but those numbers are now being floated as high as €200 million, largely because the unspecified “damages” portion would scale with the league’s valuation. With European basketball money growing quickly, that damages figure could balloon fast.
Entry fees and what it means for clubs
There’s also a cost to join the new franchise competition. Estimates from club owners put buy-in fees in the tens of millions: some historic clubs could pay around €50 million for multi-year deals, while other bidders have been quoted amounts in the €80–90 million range. Those are not negligible sums, and combined with steep exit penalties, they create a strong financial disincentive to leave once you’re in.
Put simply: for clubs weighing the move, the math is shifting. The upfront price to become a franchise member plus the potential cost to exit later make staying put a far more attractive — and practical — option than trying to walk away in future seasons.
