The Belgian men's soccer top-tier Pro League has attracted bids from three broadcasters for its domestic rights spanning the next five seasons. This development comes after the league went to market with a tender for the 2025-2030 seasons on September 9.
DAZN, Telenet, and Proximus have reportedly submitted offers before the deadline at October's end. Notably, DAZN is currently holding incumbent rights. However, it appears that all offers so far are less than what DAZN paid under its current deal with the Pro League - a sum recorded by GlobalData Sport as being worth approximately $109.6 million per season.
Two other potential buyers of these rights - Orange and Voo - have decided against submitting their bids.
Current state of affairs
The domestic and international rights of the 16-team Pro League are presently held by global sports streaming service DAZN. The company acquired these from previous rights-holder Eleven Sports in 2023 through a five-year deal set to run until the end of 2024-25 season. Eleven had partnered with sports agency Mediapro to distribute international rights in collaboration with the league.
In total, eight different packages are up for grabs – three specifically dedicated to broadcasting matches from Belgium’s top-flight football competition (the remaining cover second-tier Challenger Pro League games and various domestic cup competitions).
New development
A significant change introduced in this tender is that all packages are platform-neutral – they cover both linear TV broadcasts as well as streaming services online. This move reflects an increasing trend towards digital consumption of sports content globally. As we approach mid-season in 2024-25, Genk leads on points after playing fourteen games so far.
In other news, the Pro League extended its partnership with WSC Sports in mid-September. WSC Sports is a sports-focused AI-powered video content provider, and this collaboration signifies the league's commitment to leveraging advanced technology for enhancing fan engagement.
The bidding process for the Belgian Pro League matches rights is indicative of the growing interest in domestic soccer leagues worldwide. As we await further developments, it remains to be seen who will secure these coveted rights and how this will shape the future of sports broadcasting in Belgium.
