Manchester United Set To Form NBA Team Amid Europe Expansion Plans: Reports

Last Updated:December 03, 2025, 09:47 IST

Manchester United may join NBA Europe, a new league planned for 2027, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe seeks fresh revenue.

(Credit: X)

Manchester United have reportedly given the green light to forming a professional basketball team as part of the NBA’s ambitious plan to launch a European league.

The proposed competition — NBA Europe — is being targeted for a 2027 debut, marking the NBA’s first permanent expansion outside North America.

The idea is to unite elite European clubs under the NBA umbrella, creating a franchise-style model that coexists with domestic leagues while unlocking massive commercial potential across the continent.

Reports from Manchester Evening News state that the development comes as new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues hunting for fresh revenue streams. Despite United reporting record revenues last year, the club is still losing money — making ventures like NBA Europe an attractive new frontier.

Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci praised the project, telling Corriere dello Sport it would bring “resources and entertainment" without forcing clubs to abandon their national competitions.

“In a $50bn market, European basketball has a commercial value of just $200m," Petrucci said. “An NBA league is the opportunity to grow the entire pool. If Manchester United, the most popular football club in the world, has already said yes, there must be a reason."

If United do move forward, it wouldn’t be their first dip into basketball.

Back in the 1980s, the club ran a team known as Sharp Manchester United, who won the National Basketball League title in 1986 and even faced European giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. After a series of ownership changes, the team eventually evolved into the Manchester Giants before the franchise collapsed and was reborn as Manchester Basketball in 2024.

Across Europe, multi-sport club structures are common — with teams in Spain, Portugal and Turkey all operating under unified club identities. The NBA’s pitch taps directly into that tradition.

According to United in Focus, United have been contacted by the NBA — but so have Tottenham, Liverpool and Birmingham City, with Chelsea and Arsenal ruled out due to ownership conflicts.

Crucially, despite Petrucci’s comments, there is no firm yes or no from United yet.

About the Author

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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