The long-standing commercial rights distribution and broadcast production partnership between IMG and Euroleague Basketball has been extended for another 11 years.
The tie-up, which got underway through the forming of a joint venture in early 2016, will now continue through the 2035-36 EuroLeague season.
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The renewal comes with the previous tie-up between the two parties (unveiled in November 2015) having been set to expire later this year – although a further decade had been included as an option in the original deal.
IMG will continue as both the media and commercial rights distribution partner for the EuroLeague, as well as the league’s exclusive live events broadcast production partner.
The partnership will cover media rights, brand partnerships, strategic consulting, digital services, and streaming.
Adam Kelly, IMG Media’s president, said: “Together, we have significantly increased revenues and reach and reimagined the fan experience through enhancements across commercial partnerships, state-of-the-art production, competition structure, digital, streaming, and data.
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By GlobalData“European basketball has never been in a stronger position, and we are committed to building even greater value for the league, competitions, clubs, partners, and fans for years to come.”
The joint venture initially saw a new competition model created for the EuroLeague, through which all teams began competing against each other.
IMG – including the Euroleague Basketball joint venture – is in the process of being sold to TKO Group Holdings (another part of the wider Endeavor Group), with that transaction expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Paulius Motiejunas, chief executive of EuroLeague Basketball, added: “Looking ahead, the Euroleague Basketball organisation and its shareholders are committed to continuing this successful partnership and bringing even greater experiences to our growing fanbase.”
Euroleague Basketball’s media rights activity last year included the extension of deals in Italy with Sky Italia and DAZN.
In terms of IMG’s production tie-ups, meanwhile, late November brought the news that the agency will lose its production rights covering English soccer’s top-tier Premier League (EPL) – one of its crown jewels for over 20 years – in less than 18 months’ time.
The 20-team EPL will be setting up its own media operations business to come into effect at the start of the 2026-27 season, thus taking the production and distribution of all content for overseas audiences in-house.
Other top-tier rights-holders the IMG Studios division works with include soccer’s MLS and Saudi Pro League (through 2028-29), UK golf’s R&A, and mixed martial arts’ Ultimate Fighting Championship (also owned by Endeavor). The IMG Studios arm is currently based at Stockley Park in West London.
In February, it was unveiled that the IMG Studios division was at that point in a consultation process around laying off a small number of its workforce.
