DAZN, a sports subscription streaming giant, has been legally mandated to continue broadcasting Belgian soccer's top-tier Pro League until the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. This ruling was delivered by the Belgian Arbitration and Mediation Centre (CEPANI) in response to DAZN's annulment of its five-year contract with the Pro League in late November.
Despite this annulment, DAZN has continued to cover games. In addition to broadcasting the 16-team league domestically, it is also required to pay outstanding fees for rights through 2026 which have remained unpaid since November.
The contract termination occurred after unsuccessful attempts by DAZN and the league at securing broader distribution deals with two other partners for Pro League coverage - a condition stipulated in their original agreement. As such, essential terms of their contract were not met.
Pro League chief executive (CEO), Lorin Parys, said:
"The winners with this ruling are our fans, our clubs and Belgian football as a whole. We are pleased that, among other things, DAZN must fulfil its commitments regarding production, distribution, payment, and negotiations with the telecom operators."
Renegotiated media rights agreement
DAZN renegotiated its media rights agreement with the league for a five-year extension late in 2024. The renewed deal amounted to €84.2 million ($99.7 million) per season – marking a significant decrease from their previous five-year contract valued at €103 million annually.
Following DAZN's declaration that their contract was null and void, legal action ensued from the Pro League leading up to these outcomes. CEPANI ruled that not only must DAZN continue airing Pro League matches and paying dues but also reopen negotiations regarding wider coverage with telecom firms like Proximus, Telenet, and Orange.
Despite these challenges, domestic deals were struck by DAZN for airing highlights of Pro-League matches with VRT - Belgium’s Flemish-language public broadcaster - as well as RTBF - French-language Belgian public-service broadcaster.
DAZN secures Kings League rights
In other news, DAZN will maintain its position as the primary global broadcast rights-holder for Kings League. This digital-focused soccer venture was initiated by Gerard Piqué, a former Spanish soccer star.
DAZN recently announced that it has secured a range of Kings League rights for 2026. These include broadcasting rights for the Kings World Cup Nations event scheduled to take place in Brazil from January 3 to 17.
The event will be aired globally by the broadcaster with exceptions in the US, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa and Israel. It will be free-to-air in almost all other markets excluding France. Furthermore, DAZN is set to serve as the domestic rights partner for local Kings League competitions taking place between March and May in Spain, Italy and Germany.
