The NBA may not be America’s top sports league, but it certainly has a stronger worldwide audience compared to the NFL. In the latest news from the association, plans have been revealed to announce a deal to play regular season games at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
“The NBA has declared its intent to expand into Europe, where it feels the game is commercially underdeveloped,” wrote Ian Whittell of The Times. “The NBA is expected to announce a multi-year deal to play regular-season games at Manchester’s 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena, which would make it Europe’s largest basketball venue, starting possibly as early as next season. The arena, worth £365 million, is majority owned by the City Football Group.”
Manchester is located in England with a population of roughly 549,853 people. The area is home to several pro sports teams, including Manchester City and Manchester United, two popular Premier League football clubs.
Soccer and rugby are currently the most popular sports in England but the NBA hopes that bringing games to the Co-op Live Arena, Europe’s largest basketball venue, will offer them exposure to a previously untapped market. It’s the latest move in an ongoing relationship between the NBA and Abu Dhabi, which has hosted pre-season games and national team exhibition games.
Not only is Abu Dhabi in a sponsorship deal with the New York Knicks, but they also purchased naming rights to the NBA Cup and have their brand stitched on the referees’ jerseys. The Qatar Investment Authority also became the first sovereign wealth fund to own an NBA team, with a 5% stake in the Washington Wizards.
Slowly but surely, the NBA is expanding its reach and fulfilling its longstanding mission to grow and enhance the game. With ratings in the dumps and critics trashing the NBA product, going global might be exactly what the league needs to start trending in the right direction. There have been projects in the works for years, all over the world, but there are a few places in particular that the league wants to focus its efforts on.
The NBA has always had a heavy interest in the European and Asian markets. Over the years, they’ve tried to tap into those audiences with heavy marketing campaigns and other investments. They’ve also been having pre-season games around the world for years such in places like Paris, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. For November 2025, the league even has two games scheduled between the Nets and Suns in Macao.
In the past, international interest and involvement have always been secondary to the United States but the NBA has been paying more and more attention to other countries. As the league has gone more global, we’re seeing more and more athletes come from outside the U.S.
Today, most of the game’s top stars are not American. As of 2025, the list includes Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Over the years, we will likely see more and more NBA athletes come from overseas, and as interest keeps growing worldwide, it’s only natural for the NBA to make their product more accessible to non-American fans.
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