Paris Basketball and ASVEL lead Betclic Élite 2026-2027 budgets
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the National Directorate of Management Control and Advisory and the National Basketball League published the projected budgets and payrolls for Betclic Élite and Élite 2 clubs ahead of the 2026-2027 season. The official press release outlines a stark financial divide across the French top-tier division, with Paris Basketball and ASVEL towering over the rest of the league in both spending power and total operating funds.
Paris and ASVEL Dominate League Finances
Paris Basketball enters the 2026-2027 campaign with a projected budget of 30.858 million euros, representing a 7% increase from the previous season. Lyon Villeurbanne follows closely behind with a budget of 24.778 million euros, marking a sharp 33% jump compared to 2025-2026. These figures dwarf the rest of the competition.
For context, the median budget across all sixteen Betclic Élite clubs sits at 6.6 million euros. Their player payrolls reflect this dominance: Paris leads the league with a wage bill of 8.177 million euros, while Lyon Villeurbanne commits 7.884 million euros to player salaries, a massive 73% increase from their prior payroll.
Le Mans Holds Steady in the Upper Tier
Le Mans Sarthe Basket claims the fifth-highest projected budget in Betclic Élite at 7.388 million euros, accompanied by the fifth-highest payroll at 2.068 million euros. These numbers show a slight decrease of 2% for the budget and 9% for the payroll compared to the 2025-2026 figures of 7.510 million euros and 2.282 million euros, respectively.
The reduction stems directly from a financial buyout Le Mans received during the previous fiscal cycle following the NBA draft selection of Noah Penda. Despite the minor downward adjustment, the club’s financial commitments remain comfortably above the league median.
Full Betclic Élite Projected Budgets
The DNCCG filings outline the complete finances for the 16 clubs competing in the top flight for the 2026-2027 season:
- 1. Paris Basketball: €30,858,000 (+7%)
- 2. Lyon Villeurbanne: €24,778,000 (+33%)
- 3. Bourg-en-Bresse: €8,160,000 (+0%)
- 4. Strasbourg: €7,698,000 (+9%)
- 5. Le Mans: €7,388,000 (-2%)
- 6. Chalon-sur-Saône: €7,339,000 (+2%)
- 7. Limoges: €7,177,000 (+16%)
- 8. Cholet: €6,753,000 (+5%)
- 9. Nanterre: €6,455,000 (+15%)
- 10. Nancy: €6,136,000 (+5%)
- 11. Pau Lacq Orthez: €6,091,000 (promoted)
- 12. Dijon: €5,778,000 (-9%)
- 13. Gravelines Dunkerque: €5,681,000 (-3%)
- 14. Roanne: €5,546,000 (promoted)
- 15. Boulazac: €4,169,000 (+8%)
- 16. Saint-Quentin: €3,764,000 (-9%)
Player Payrolls Across the Championship
The projected wage bills for the 16 clubs are structured as follows:
- 1. Paris Basketball: €8,177,000 (+3%)
- 2. Lyon Villeurbanne: €7,884,000 (+73%)
- 3. Bourg-en-Bresse: €2,334,000 (+1%)
- 4. Limoges: €2,100,000 (+14%)
- 5. Le Mans: €2,068,000 (-9%)
- 6. Roanne: €2,040,000 (promoted)
- 7. Strasbourg: €1,956,000 (+5%)
- 8. Nanterre: €1,933,000 (+21%)
- 9. Chalon-sur-Saône: €1,893,000 (-7%)
- 10. Dijon: €1,817,000 (-8%)
- 11. Nancy: €1,816,000 (+5%)
- 12. Gravelines Dunkerque: €1,766,000 (-1%)
- 13. Pau Lacq Orthez: €1,750,000 (promoted)
- 14. Cholet: €1,738,000 (+7%)
- 15. Saint-Quentin: €1,626,000 (-2%)
- 16. Boulazac: €1,409,000 (+13%)
Administrative Turmoil Preceding the Tip-Off
Monaco pursued emergency appeals through the CNOSF, which ultimately issued an unfavorable advisory opinion on August 28, 2026, advising the club to accept the relegation decision. Consequently, the LNB validated Saint-Quentin’s engagement in Betclic Élite and Fos Provence’s spot in Élite 2 ahead of the September tip-off, while Monaco sought participation in lower tiers.