The NBA Is Thriving Abroad and Mexico City Might Be Part of the League’s Next Expansion
The NBA is reaching new heights in popularity and revenue. The sporting league reached record-setting revenue in 2025, and things are already looking good for 2026. The league is eyeing a serious expansion in Europe to capitalize on the momentum in European basketball attendance. Mexico is also giving the NBA more information for a Latin American expansion.
The NBA is growing internationally and Latinos are a big contributor
The sporting league understands the importance of the Latino community and fans. The NBA has long leaned into the Latino fandom by implementing Noches Éne-Bé-A 19 years ago. The nights come with special performances like mariachi, dancing, and other cultural arts that put Latino culture at the forefront.
According to a study by Telemundo and McKinsey, Latinos are contributing to the exponential growth in the sports economy. The study shows that Latinos will make up 77 percent of U.S. market growth for the industry, and young consumers are the most likely fans. The two numbers have sporting leagues eager to court Latinos to their stadiums and arenas in an attempt to create a pipeline of young, engaged fans.
Latinos will make up 25 percent of the sports economy and attend at least one live sporting event each year more often than non-Latinos.
Mexico is giving the league valuable insight for potential Latin American expansion
The NBA G League includes more than 30 teams across North America. The NBA includes the Mexico City Capitanes in the league as a test run for entering the Latin American market. So far, the Mexico City Capitanes are giving the NBA hope to make serious investments in expanding the NBA into Latin America.
By the numbers, Mexico City Capitanes are bringing in large numbers for fan engagement. According to AS, the Mexico City Capitanes drew in more than 19,000 fans to the Arena CDMX, showing continual growth in fan enthusiasm. The team’s reach of more than 3 million fans adds to Mexico City’s prominent place as a contender for expansion. More than 5 million Mexicans tuned in to watch the NBA Finals, further cementing Mexico City as a successful test for the basketball league.
Investing in Latinos and Latin America makes sense
Financially and culturally, expanding into Latin America and investing in Latinos in the U.S. makes sense for the NBA. There is a lot of hunger for more basketball in Latin America. There are 30 NBA retail stores throughout Brazil. With Latinos as a fast-growing demographic and a loyal sports fan community, the NBA is poised to win over young and loyal fans.
The announcement of any potential Latin American expansion for the game is not happening anytime soon. Officials for the league have signaled that a decision on expanding is expected at the end of 2026. If the Mexico City Capitanes keep up their work, it looks good that Latin America will be invited further into the world of professional basketball.
