The EASL Finals 2026 commenced today with an official press conference in Macau, featuring representatives from all four semifinal teams together with EASL leadership and Studio City executives.
Energy and anticipation crackled through the venue as each team took the podium ahead of the semifinal round, celebrating a competition that unites the region’s elite. Players and coaches praised the Finals as a high-stakes, truly international battleground — champions facing champions — where pride, passion, and regional bragging rights are all on the line.
Kicking off the conference, the EASL Founder & CEO, Henry Kerins, took the mic with unmistakable enthusiasm, reaffirming Macau as the beating heart of the EASL Finals. He celebrated the league’s deep roots in the city — a partnership stretching back to 2017 when EASL staged week-long tournaments in Macau — and traced the evolution from those early events to today’s full 36-game regular-season format and consecutive postseason return.
“Macau has been part of our story from the very beginning,” shared Henry Kerins. “What we’re building here — bringing Asia’s best teams together in one of the region’s great cities — is exactly the kind of integrated sports experience that puts Macau on the map for the right reasons. We believe the best is still to come.”
The SVP & Property General Manager of Studio City, Kevin Benning, echoed that sentiment on behalf of Studio City, welcoming Asia’s premier basketball competition back within its walls for another postseason run. “Hosting the EASL Finals for a second consecutive year reinforces our commitment to supporting the positioning of Macau SAR as a global hub for elite sports,” Benning said. “For us, this is about more than just hosting a tournament; it’s about bringing that ‘Fun Never Ends’ energy to life for fans across the region. We’ve created a world-class stage where elite athletics and the spirit of Macau converge, and we are ready for the world to see it.”
The EASL Finals has grown into one of the region’s most significant sporting events, and Macau has been central to that story. By anchoring its postseason here for the second consecutive year, the league continues to draw fans and media from across the continent — bringing the kind of sports tourism that puts Macau on the map as a destination for elite Asian competition.
Semifinals Schedule — Studio City Event Center
The semifinal round tips off on Friday, March 20, with the:
- Ryukyu Golden Kings (B.LEAGUE) taking on Utsunomiya Brex (B.LEAGUE) at 18:00
- Alvark Tokyo (B.LEAGUE) facing Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P.LEAGUE+) at 20:30.
Both games are held at the Studio City Event Center.
The two winners advance to the Finals, where the champion will take home $1.5 million USD from a prize pool that also includes $750,000 for the runner-up and $375,000 for third place.
