'It has to be authentic': Euroleague's CMO on expansion without selling out
When Alex Ferrer Kristjansson joined Euroleague Basketball two decades ago, the league was an underdog with ambition. 'Back then we were a group of young people just learning and putting a lot of effort in trying to build something,' he says. 'It was a new thing. It was an innovative sports property, and we had a lot of ambition. And now, you know, when we see where we are now… it's a completely different animal.'
Today, Ferrer finds himself spearheading Euroleague's entry into one of the world's fastest-growing sports markets: the Middle East. The decision to bring the Final Four to Abu Dhabi signals more than geographic expansion – it's a referendum on the league's global relevance, commercial strategy, and cultural integrity.
'It's not that we are moving the Euroleague to the Middle East, you know,' Ferrer insists. 'It's one event where we are bringing all that experience to a new audience.'
With basketball's international appeal rising – especially among diaspora-heavy, sport-hungry cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai – Euroleague is testing how far its brand of deeply European basketball can travel, and whether doing so will strengthen or splinter its identity.
Basketball, the European way
The core question is one of cultural transference: Can Euroleague's brand of 'authentic' basketball thrive in a region long dominated by football and one that is already a magnet for global sports events?
'Authenticity is a great word,' Ferrer says. 'This European basketball culture is very, very deeply rooted and very solid. I think there's nothing wrong with exporting that or showing that to new audiences and exposing that to new audiences, new regions, which is what we're doing here with this Final Four.'
'But obviously, yes, we have to make sure that we protect that authenticity… I don't think there's any risk of that authenticity being destroyed in any way.'
He adds, 'If it's not the record in history, it's one of the quickest sold outs, for sure… and what we are seeing now here – all the support from the local authorities and the quality of the event… it has all the ingredients to be a success.'
Why Abu Dhabi, why now?
From a business lens, the logic is clear. 'It just speaks about the maturity of the league, what it has become, and the growing interest it is experiencing, not only in Europe, but in a global basis,' Ferrer explains.
'We have seen the Middle East taking a very relevant role within sports, not only basketball, right? With investments in sports properties across the globe, but also in major events happening here… You see Formula One, you see NBA, you see UFC, now you see the Euroleague. We're part of that.'
'What we see here is opportunity. What exactly that means, that is what we don't know yet… and that is the main reason why we decided to bring the Final Four here… to see how a new market like this one responds to our offering and our product, and then take it from there.'
Ferrer doesn't pretend Euroleague will challenge football's dominance — nor does it need to. 'We don't aspire to compete with football, but we really believe we have something unique… The fact that football is strong doesn't mean that there cannot be interest for other stuff, other entertainment, right?'
'As long as the entertainment offering is good enough, I think there's space for everyone.'
What happens after the final buzzer?
Is this a one-off? Ferrer is candid: 'We will see. We don't know how permanent our presence in the Middle East will be… This is a very first step in that ambition. And we want to first understand, you know, how it works out, what the results of this event are.'
'We're looking at the world. That's what we're looking at. We want to grow our presence everywhere. And presence doesn't mean physical presence. You know, it can be different ways of presence in different regions.'
Still, the groundwork is already being laid. One topic under serious consideration: adding a Dubai-based team to the league. 'In terms of outside Europe, meaning the Middle East, Dubai is on the radar, and it has a good chance of becoming a reality,' he says.
But he adds a critical caveat: 'Whatever is built here, it needs to be built in an authentic way. If you want it to last, it cannot be built based on a fake product that you just invent and expect to be successful and put a lot of money behind… it needs to be something that has a long-term strategy and has the right support from the right people, the right authorities.'
Not the NBA – and proud of it
Invariably, comparisons to the NBA arise. But Ferrer dismisses the rivalry narrative. 'Everybody asks about us competing with the NBA. I don't see it that way… The NBA is basketball. The Euroleague is basketball. It's a different product, in my view.'
'They're better at some things, and we are a lot better in some other things… But it's not about competing with them… If we are successful, I think that the NBA will benefit greatly about it… It's just building, creating more and more basketball fans, and that's in everyone's interest.'
Legacy in motion
Having spent 20 years shaping Euroleague's evolution, Ferrer's vision is long-term but grounded. 'Sometimes you live the moment and it's difficult to look back,' he reflects. 'When I take a moment and look back 20 years ago, you realise how much this Euroleague has changed.'
'If I have any legacy in this league, it's about contributing to that growth… It's beautiful to see how we, together with all the many people, built this into what it is today.'
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