Multi-year extension comes as growing global interest in European basketball creates new opportunities for players
September 22, 2026 – The EuroLeague PlayersAssociation (ELPA) and Winners Alliance today announced a multi-year extension of their exclusive partnership, expanding efforts to unlock greater value for European players through commercial licensing opportunities.
Under the agreement, Winners Alliance will remain ELPA’s exclusive commercial licensing partner, representing the group rights of EuroLeague players across categories including video games, trading cards and apparel. The extension comes at a significant moment for European basketball, as rising interest from fans, media and businesses creates new possibilities for the players driving the sport’s appeal.
“European basketball is entering an incredibly exciting period, with tremendous talent, personality and appeal among its players,” said Ahmad Nassar, CEO of Winners Alliance. “Yet historically, there hasn’t been the infrastructure to fully optimize their value. Our work with ELPA is about changing that and making sure players have a meaningful stake in the opportunities emerging as the sport grows.”
ELPA and Winners Alliance first partnered in 2024 to organize and aggregate the group rights of more than 300 professional players. That work establishes a platform for companies and licensees to access player rights at scale.
“Over the past two years, Winners Alliance has become a strong partner of ELPA with a real understanding of our players and what we are trying to build,” said Boštjan Nachbar, Managing Director of ELPA. “There is much more opportunity ahead, and extending this relationship gives us the expertise and reach to pursue it while keeping the interests of our players at the center.”
About ELPA
The EuroLeague Players’ Association represents the unified voice of EuroLeague players and assists its members in achieving their goals, on and off the court. Through collective bargaining with Euroleague Basketball and the EuroLeague clubs, ELPA seeks to achieve a higher level of protection of players’ individual and collective rights and to improve the working conditions, economic benefits and job security of all its members.
In collaboration with specialists in various sports fields, ELPA provides support for players’ physical and mental well-being. ELPA also engages in organisational, financial, educational and marketing activities that advance the economic stability and security of its members.
About Winners Alliance
Winners Alliance is a global, athlete-centric commercial solution dedicated to creating novel group licensing, sponsorship, partnership, content, investment and event opportunities for world-class athletes collectively. Launched in 2022, Winners Alliance serves as the for-profit affiliate of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), and EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA), representing the group commercial rights of hundreds of athletes worldwide. Among its pioneering initiatives, Winners Alliance aims to establish a sustainable group licensing program encompassing video games, trading cards, collectibles, and related opportunities. To learn more, visit www.winnersalliance.com.
