BELGIUM Law and Practice Contributed by: Sven Demeulemeester, Willem-Alexander Devlies and Daan Buylaert, ATFiELD
How Sports Rights-Holders Package Broadcasting Rights
beer brand associated with a club or event, (iv) Duration and Renewal Options (states the con - tract term, renewal conditions and exit clauses for both parties, (v) Intellectual Property and Data Use (governs the use of trade marks, logos and access to audience data for marketing pur - poses, (vi) Termination and Dispute Resolution (includes provisions for contract termination due to breach of agreement or reputational damage, along with mechanisms for resolving disputes). 2.3 Broadcasting How Broadcasters Exploit Broadcasting Rights for Profit In Belgium, broadcasters capitalise on sports broadcasting rights through various revenue- generating strategies, including the following. Advertising revenue Broadcasters sell commercial slots during live matches and sports programmes, with premium rates for high-profile events. Sponsorship deals with brands allow for product placements and integrated marketing campaigns. Subscription services Pay-TV providers offer exclusive sports pack - ages, attracting subscribers who want access to premium content. Streaming platforms gener - ate revenue through monthly or annual subscrip - tions, sometimes bundling sports content with other entertainment services. Pay-per-view (PPV) and on-demand content Some events, especially high-profile matches, are offered on a PPV basis. On-demand con - tent, such as match highlights and interviews, provides additional monetisation opportunities.
Sports rights-holders in Belgium strategically package their broadcasting rights to maximise value and attract investment from broadcasters. Common approaches include the following. Exclusive v non-exclusive rights High-value sports competitions, such as the Jupiler Pro League in football, are often sold on an exclusive basis to maximise broadcaster investment. Lower-tier leagues or niche sports may opt for non-exclusive deals to increase Rights-holders may package live matches, high - lights and digital content to offer comprehen - sive broadcasting deals. Different platforms (TV, streaming, radio) are often included in bundled agreements. Long-term contracts exposure and accessibility. Bundled rights packages Multi-season agreements provide financial sta - bility for both rights-holders and broadcasters. Rights are typically auctioned through competi - tive sales processes. Notable Belgian Examples Pro League broadcasting deal In December 2024, the Pro League decided to award the media rights for the period 2025–2030 to DAZN. The current rights-holder is thus also the new rights-holder for the next five seasons regarding Belgian professional football’s domes - tic media rights. It concerns the live rights for the Jupiler Pro League, the Challenger Pro League, the Lotto Super League, the Croky Cup and the Supercup, the highlights Magazine, the so-called “delayed clips” and the Monday evening maga - zine. The public broadcasters, VRT and RTBF, obtained the radio rights and will provide live
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