Basketball Champions League 2026/27: Deutsche Telekom acquires the exclusive German media rights

Deutsche Telekom has acquired the exclusive German media rights to the Basketball Champions League (BCL).

Four German clubs - ALBA Berlin, BMA365 Bamberg Baskets, Telekom Baskets Bonn and RASTA Vechta – are competing this season.

Deutsche Telekom's MagentaSport platform will show all matches involving German teams live and exclusively. It will also air every BCL game from the quarter-finals onwards.

The deal is a massive boost for operators of betting sites in Germany, who will benefit from a significant uptick in wagering activity on live BCL fixtures.

German champions ALBA Berlin are rated as 16/1 shots to win the title, and they could be a value bet to progress to the Final Four this season.

The BCL's chief executive officer Patrick Comninos said: “We are very pleased to welcome MagentaSport as the exclusive home of the Basketball Champions League in Germany.

“Germany is one of Europe's leading basketball markets. With four German clubs in the competition this season and MagentaSport's excellent reach and coverage, we look forward to bringing the Basketball Champions League even closer to fans across the country.”

ALBA are Germany's best bet in the BCL

ALBA are undoubtedly Germany's best chance of winning the BCL this season. They face Slavia Prague (Czechia), Igokea (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and Bilbao (Spain) in the group stage.

The eight group winners advance directly to the round of 16. The second and third placed teams enter a play-off round to determine the other eight teams in the knockout phase.

Bilbao are rated as the biggest threats to ALBA in Group G, and their two meetings in October and November will likely determine who tops the standings.

ALBA start their BCL campaign with a trip to Prague, and head coach Pedro Calles believes his team can secure a positive result.

"Our opponent has kept the same coach and a large part of the Czech core from last season in Oren Amiel,” Calles said.

“With Ronaldo Segu, they also have a point guard who we already know from his time in Bamberg. But our focus in training is mainly on ourselves.

“We continue to work on compensating for the absences of Martin (Hermannsson) and Norris (Agbakoko) and, for example, finding better solutions for rebounding.

“Despite the current injury situation, however, we want to stay true to our principles and develop as a team."

Prague eager to make their mark in Europe

Former Bamberg coach Amiel has strengthened his squad significantly this summer, adding six international players to his roster.

They include Segu and Javion McCollum, who have been hugely impressive during the early stages of the National Basketball League season in Czechia.

Jaromir Bohacik has also made a strong start to the new season, while Frantisek Rylich, Vojtech Hruban and Travis Harper are other talented options.

The club embarked on a new era ahead of the 2026/27 season after merging their sporting, organisational and marketing operations with ERA Basketball Nymburk.

"Basketball has a deep-rooted tradition at Slavia,” said Slavia co-owner Marek Tesar. “Over the past three seasons, we have systematically built the foundation for the next major step.

"We knew that to compete consistently at the European level, we needed a partner with a proven basketball pedigree.

"In Nymburk, we found an organisation that shares our ambition and values. Together, we are building a project with the potential to elevate Czech basketball's international standing."