Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has entered a high‑stakes contest to acquire the NBA Europe franchise that will be based in London. He is pitted against a powerful consortium that includes the club’s current owners, the Lewis family, as well as other seasoned sports investors.
According to a report from Sky News, the Lewis family is not acting alone. They have joined forces with the Checketts family, a group that has a long history of involvement in North American professional sports. The Checketts have previously owned or held significant stakes in Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake and the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues, giving them considerable experience in managing high‑profile teams across different leagues.
A third partner in this consortium is the Eccles family, who already hold shares in English club Burnley FC and the Spanish side RCD Espanyol. Their participation adds further football pedigree to the group, complementing the Checketts’ North‑American expertise and the Lewises’ local knowledge of the Spurs organization. Levy, meanwhile, is not bidding alone. Earlier coverage indicated that he is part of a separate partnership that includes Liberty Global, the multinational telecommunications conglomerate, and MSP Sports Capital, a private‑equity firm that previously backed McLaren Racing.
This alliance brings together media, technology, and motorsport investment experience, positioning it as a formidable rival to the Lewis‑Checketts‑Eccles bloc. The race to secure the London NBA Europe franchise is part of a broader expansion strategy by the NBA, which has announced the creation of twelve new clubs across the continent.
London has quickly emerged as the most coveted location, outpacing other proposed sites in Berlin, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris and Rome. The capital’s global profile, financial market, and existing sports infrastructure make it an ideal launch pad for the league’s European ambitions. The NBA’s European rollout is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue through the sale of franchise rights, sponsorship deals, broadcast contracts and ancillary merchandise.
The league anticipates that the first financial transactions will be finalized in the coming weeks, setting the stage for a new era of transatlantic basketball competition. Levy’s involvement in this bid follows his departure from the Spurs’ executive chairmanship in September 2025, after nearly a quarter‑century at the helm of the football club. While the official statement from both parties described his exit as a voluntary “stepping down,” industry insiders widely interpreted the move as being prompted by external pressures, possibly linked to his growing interest in the NBA Europe project. The competition for the London franchise underscores a growing trend of wealthy American families and investment groups purchasing stakes in UK sports properties, particularly football clubs.
This influx of capital is reshaping the ownership landscape, introducing new financial models and cross‑border synergies that could redefine how clubs operate both on and off the field. If Levy’s consortium succeeds, it would mark a significant diversification of his sports portfolio, extending his influence from the world’s most popular football league into the rapidly expanding arena of professional basketball. Conversely, a victory for the Lewis‑Checketts‑Eccles partnership would keep the NBA franchise firmly within a group already entrenched in both UK and European football, potentially facilitating smoother integration with existing club infrastructures. Beyond the business implications, the arrival of an NBA team in London promises to enrich the city’s sporting culture.
Fans can look forward to regular-season games, playoffs, and the chance to see NBA stars perform live on British soil. The league’s marketing machine is expected to roll out a suite of community outreach programs, youth development initiatives, and fan engagement events designed to grow the sport at the grassroots level. The excitement surrounding the NBA Europe expansion is already palpable. Media outlets are speculating on the potential roster of players, the design of the home arena, and the commercial partnerships that will underwrite the venture.
Sky Sports, which holds broadcasting rights for the NBA in the UK, has hinted at new subscription‑free streaming options to make the games more accessible to a broader audience. In summary, Daniel Levy’s bid for the London NBA Europe team represents a bold move into a new sport and market, pitting him against a consortium that blends local football ownership with seasoned North‑American sports investors. The outcome of this high‑profile auction will not only determine who controls a valuable new franchise but also signal the direction of transatlantic sports investment in the coming decade.