Italian Serie A Basketball Budgets Surge to 185 Million Euros for 2026/27
Italian Serie A basketball budgets for the 2026/27 season reach nearly 185 million euros, marking a 65% increase since 2018/19. Olimpia Milano leads the league with a 40 million euro budget, while newcomer BC Roma enters the top flight.
Italian basketball is returning to the forefront, with massive budgets for the 2026/27 season clearly demonstrating its growth pace. According to data published in La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 16 Serie A clubs are expected to spend a combined total of nearly 185 million euros this season—an increase of about 65% compared to 2018/19, when the total sum stood at just over 110 million euros.
Financial Overview and Top Spenders
It is important to emphasize that this figure encompasses all club expenses throughout the season, rather than player salaries alone. Nevertheless, it represents a significant surge reflecting the capital flowing back into Italy's premier league.
Standing above all others is Olimpia Milano. The EuroLeague club expects expenses of nearly 40 million euros, with reports indicating that roughly half of the amount is covered by its sponsorship agreement with EA7. Since 2008, Giorgio Armani has reportedly poured more than 250 million euros into the club via capital investments and commercial deals. Following Armani's passing, club president Leo Dell'Orco decided to maintain a budget framework similar to last season.
Bologna and the Rising Rome Projects
Virtus Bologna, Italy's second EuroLeague representative, ranks second with an estimated budget of around 25 million euros. While exceptionally high relative to the rest of the league, this figure continues a downward trend: in 2024/25, club expenses reached approximately 32 million euros, dropping to around 28 million last season.
Derthona holds third place with about 14.5 million euros, its economic growth given a boost by revenues generated from its new arena opening. Following them is one of the season's most intriguing projects—BC Roma, backed by Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic. The club will kick off its debut season with expenses of around 12 million euros after purchasing the sporting rights of Cremona.
"The return of Rome to the center of the Italian basketball map is not limited to a single project, showcasing a clear shift in direction across the capital." — La Gazzetta dello Sport
Rome's resurgence features two ambitious teams in the capital, with Maximia Roma operating on a budget of about 10 million euros, bringing their combined capital spending to roughly 22 million euros. Venezia ranks between them with approximately 11 million euros, while Napoli and Varese hover around the 10 million euro mark.
League-Wide Distribution
Rounding out the rest of the list are Reggio Emilia at 9 million euros, Cantu and Trento at 7 million each, Verona at 6.5 million, Udine at 6.1 million, Treviso and Trieste at 6 million each, and Scafati holding the lowest budget in the league at 3.7 million euros.
After years of struggling to reclaim its historic standing in European basketball, the sharp rise in expenditures, two formidable EuroLeague sides, and the emergence of ambitious new projects point to a clear turnaround—and a determined bid by Italian basketball to return to the summit.
