By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
Jordi Bertomeu made his way to Greece for the presentation of the three-year contract extension with Novasports for the TV rights of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup games in Greece and Cyprus.
He was joined by Forthnet’s CEO and Vice Chairman on the Board of Directors, Panos Papadopoulos, and PayTv Executive Director, Katerina Kaskanioti, and Enric Rojas, the Senior Vice President and Head of Sales EMEA at IMG Media. Olympiacos Piraeus forward Kostas Papanikolaou and Panathinaikos OPAP Athens big man Dinos Mitoglou also joined in the festivities.
The CEO of the Euroleague Basketball Company discussed both the potential for a collective bargaining agreement with the players and establishing a EuroLeague team in London.
“We want our players happy. They formed their union. We would not be able to succeed without our players” noted the 60-year-old Spaniard on ELPA, the union of EuroLeague players, to add, “The next goal is a collective bargaining agreement, and I think we are close.”
“We are also aiming for a licensed team in London,” he said as well hinting towards a league with 16 long-term licenses, “Many might remember we started with a team there, with the London Towers. Our targets have not altered, and we are even nearer than five years ago.”
“This will be our 20th season. Real Madrid and Olympiacos played the first game in the EuroLeague and for 15 of the last 19 seasons, NOVA has been our partner,” Bertomeu added. “NOVA has played a very important role in our growth, as they have shown a permanent commitment to delivering quality to our fans and we are grateful for all of NOVA’s efforts in the last 15 years and anticipate my gratitude for what’s to come.”