The East Asia Super League (EASL) has announced that this year’s EASL Finals will return to Macau, where they were also held last year.
The EASL Finals 2026 will take place March 18–22 at the Studio City event center in a new format.
Emerging from a 12-team regular season, six of Asia’s top teams will qualify for the EASL Finals, where the league will crown the champion of Asian basketball.
“The renaming of the EASL Finals for this 2025–26 season represents a milestone for our league and reflects how far EASL has grown in a short period of time,” said EASL CEO Henry Kerins.
“With a larger season, a deeper field, and a championship stage in Macau, this postseason will be the biggest expression of what EASL is becoming. We are excited to bring our most ambitious Finals yet to life and deliver a championship experience that matches the scale of our league,” Kerins added.
The 2025–26 campaign marked a new benchmark for the league, expanding to 12 teams and 42 total games played across the region since October last year, ending this March.
Also growing were the prizes, with the EASL Finals offering USD 1.5 million (over MOP 12 million) to the champions, USD 750,000 (MOP6 million) to the runners-up, and USD350,000 (over MOP2.8 million) to the third-place finisher, representing the league’s largest prize pool to date.
Black Bears close poor seasonThe sole Macau representatives in the EASL, the Macau Black Bears, concluded their 2025–26 season with a 6-6 record, finishing last in Group B. The Bears ended their campaign with a loss against the Ryukyu Golden Kings (79–102) last week at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the Philippines. Group B is temporarily led by the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, with four wins and one loss, while the Golden Kings are second with three wins and one loss, having played one fewer game. As in Groups A and C, final standings are still to be decided, with several teams still in contention for the Finals. |
Currently in its third season, the EASL Finals introduces the league’s first expanded postseason format, as the inaugural 2023–24 and 2024–25 postseasons were contested under the EASL Final Four banner.
This season, the top two teams from each of Groups A, B, and C advance through a three-stage championship pathway including Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Final games.
Game days for the EASL Finals are scheduled for March 18, 20, and 22. The first day will feature two Quarterfinal matchups, with the venue to be confirmed. The competition then moves to Studio City for the Semifinals on March 20, before concluding March 22 with both the EASL Championship and the Third-Place Game.
In addition, EASL will host the second annual “Asia Basketball Summit” at Studio City on March 21, bringing together leading voices from across the region to discuss shaping the future of Asian basketball.
EASL’s regular season will conclude with a triple-header on February 11, officially setting the Finals bracket. Tickets for the EASL Finals go on sale February 21, with further ticketing details to be announced.
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