London Lions’ EuroCup Games to Stream Free on TalkSport’s YouTube Channel
TalkSport, one of the UK’s leading sports radio networks, has announced a broadcast partnership with EuroLeague Basketball — the organization behind the continent’s premier basketball competitions, the EuroLeague and the EuroCup. The collaboration focuses on expanding basketball’s reach in the UK by featuring the London Lions, Britain’s flagship team in the BKT EuroCup.
A New Platform for UK Basketball
Under the agreement, TalkSport will stream London Lions’ EuroCup games live and free-to-air on its YouTube channel throughout the 2025-26 season. The partnership guarantees at least 18 regular-season fixtures, with potential for additional coverage of the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, depending on the team’s performance.
TalkSport’s YouTube channel — home to over 1.76 million subscribers — primarily features video highlights, radio show clips, and exclusive interviews. This move signals a new content direction for the platform: merging its audio authority with digital-first live sports broadcasting to capture a broader fan base.
EuroLeague’s UK Expansion Strategy
According to Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at EuroLeague Basketball, this partnership represents a strategic milestone:
“Bringing London Lions games to a free-to-air platform together with TalkSport is a significant milestone in EuroLeague Basketball’s commitment to expanding the sport in the UK. With TalkSport’s powerful reach and engaged fanbase, we are confident more British fans will connect with the excitement of the BKT EuroCup.”
The deal was facilitated by IMG, EuroLeague Basketball’s long-term commercial rights distribution partner, whose agreement with the organization runs through 2035-36. It marks another effort by EuroLeague to solidify its presence in key growth markets outside of its traditional bases in Spain, Turkey, Greece, and Eastern Europe.
London’s Basketball Awakening
London — a city often dubbed Europe’s “sleeping giant” of basketball — is central to EuroLeague’s expansion vision. Despite its size and sporting culture, the UK has historically lagged behind continental Europe in professional basketball popularity.
The London Lions, competing in the BKT EuroCup, will face elite European clubs including Ratiopharm Ulm(Germany), Besiktas Gain (Turkey), and Dolomiti Energia Trento (Italy). Their 2025-26 campaign began on September 30, though they suffered an early setback in an 86–59 loss to Budućnost VOLI of Montenegro on October 2.
This season marks the Lions’ return to the EuroCup after their impressive semi-final run in 2023-24, which had been financially backed by 777 Partners. However, given recent instability in UK basketball structures and investment models, replicating that deep postseason performance could prove challenging.
Domestic Outlook and Broader Implications
Domestically, the London Lions continue to compete in the Super League Basketball competition, which is broadcast on DAZN. The new TalkSport partnership provides them with a complementary audience channel, allowing fans to follow both domestic and continental matches through accessible, free-to-watch coverage.
From a strategic standpoint, this partnership positions basketball to capture the UK’s rapidly diversifying sports media audience — particularly Gen Z and multicultural communities consuming content online rather than through linear television.
If executed effectively, this collaboration could serve as a blueprint for basketball’s wider revival across the UK, blending strong media distribution, elite European competition, and a modern digital-first approach.
365247 Insight:
This move underlines a key theme in modern sports strategy — distribution defines growth. For EuroLeague Basketball, success in the UK won’t come solely from the court, but from visibility and accessibility. TalkSport’s entry into live basketball content is more than a broadcast deal; it’s a cultural play to integrate European basketball into the UK’s mainstream sports conversation.
Don’t Just Watch Sport, Understand It. Join the 365247 Newsletter for daily insights
