The EuroLeague Returns for its 20th Season
Since the 2015-16 season, overall revenue for the EuroLeague has more than doubled, growing by 2.3x in three years. SportBusiness called the EuroLeague ‘the second-fastest-growing top-tier sports property in the world’. They reported that the fantastic advance in revenues was also matched by audience growth. Cumulative viewership of television and media (watched or read) showed that the EuroLeague’s audience is now 8% higher than in 2016-17 and totalled 3.1 billion during the 2018-19 season.
These numbers are also reflected in the year-on-year growth for IMG ARENA’s live streaming of the EuroLeague. The table below shows total views are up 70.2% from 2017-18 to 2018-19 and unique viewers are also up 25.2% in the same period. The device of choice for watching the EuroLeague has also shifted in recent years as the mobile streaming revolution continues across all sports.
2017-18 | 2018-19 | |
---|---|---|
Total Views | 29.5 Million | 50.2 Million |
Total Minutes Viewed | 186.8 Million | 367.6 Million |
Unique Viewers | 4.52 Million | 5.38 Million |
Mobile Views % | 53.0% | 63.7% |
Numbers of Matches Streamed | 252 | 260 |
The EuroLeague’s social following also underlines that the league is booming. With 900 million impressions across all social platforms last season, the demand for EuroLeague content is clear. This will likely increase further as Berlin, Belgrade, Villeurbanne and Valencia enter the league this season. Four new teams, from four new countries, will bring a further armada of supporters. The prospect of a London franchise also continues to look imminent and the addition of a London based team would further cement the place of the EuroLeague as one of the major forces in European sport.
NBA stars also continue to head to the EuroLeague, emphasising the growing influence of the league, as well as adding to the appeal and excitement of the new season. We have captured some of the major transfers that have taken place in the offseason.
Player | Team From | Team To |
---|---|---|
Nikola Mirotic |
Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) |
FC Barcelona |
Cory Higgins |
CSKA Moscow |
FC Barcelona |
Alex Abrines |
OKC Thunder (NBA) |
FC Barcelona |
Nando De Colo |
CSKA Moscow |
Fenerbahçe |
Derrick Williams |
Bayern Munich |
Fenerbahçe |
Kostas Koufos |
Sacramento Kings (NBA) |
CSKA Moscow |
Mike James |
Olimpia Milano |
CSKA Moscow |
Sergio Rodriguez |
CSKA Moscow |
Olimpia Milano |
Othello Hunter |
CSKA Moscow |
Maccabi Tel Aviv |
Jimmer Fredette |
Phoenix Suns (NBA) |
Panathinaikos |
Wesley Johnson |
Washington Wizards (NBA) |
Panathinaikos |
Mindaugas Kuzminskas |
Olimpia Milano |
Olympiacos |
The 20th season of the EuroLeague is undoubtedly the most exciting to date and we cannot wait for the weekly action to get underway on the 3rd of October.
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