BELGIUM Law and Practice Contributed by: Sven Demeulemeester, Willem-Alexander Devlies and Daan Buylaert, ATFiELD
National Lottery contributions The Belgian National Lottery is a key contribu - tor, funding both elite and grassroots sports pro - grammes. Corporate sponsorships and partnerships, media rights and broadcasting revenue, membership fees and ticket sales, merchandising and licensing Professional sports teams and major events secure sponsorship deals from private compa - nies, including financial services, automotive and technology sectors. Major sports, particu - larly football, generate income through domestic and international broadcasting rights. Amateur clubs rely on membership fees, while profes - sional teams generate revenue from player transfers, match-day ticket sales and hospitality services. Clubs and federations generate addi - tional income through branded merchandise and licensing agreements. Distribution of Funding Across Sporting Levels Elite and high-performance sport The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC/COIB) distributes funding to elite athletes, Olympic programmes and national teams. Fed - erations allocate funds for athlete development, coaching and international competitions. Grassroots and community sport Regional governments invest in community sports infrastructure, training programmes and initiatives promoting youth participation. Local sports clubs benefit from municipal grants and
clubs receive significant funding through media rights deals and sponsorship agreements. Disability and inclusive sport Dedicated funds support initiatives that promote inclusion and accessibility in sports for individu - als with disabilities. 4.4 Recent Deals/Trends In recent years, Belgium’s sports sector has witnessed several noteworthy and innovative developments, particularly in private equity investments, media rights agreements and tech - nological advancements. Private Equity Investments in Belgian Sports Private equity firms have increasingly shown interest in Belgian sports entities, and espe - cially in football clubs. Several foreign investors have taken a minority or a majority stake in more than 50% of Belgian professional football clubs (such as Club Brugge, Standard de Liège, Lom - mel SK, K. Beerschot VA, etc). Some of them have been successful, but several of them have not ended well, even leading to the bankruptcy of several clubs (eg, KV Ostend, KMSK Deinze, etc) in recent years. Innovative Media Rights Agreements The Belgian sports broadcasting landscape has seen significant changes. Belgian Pro League and DAZN agreement In December 2024, the Belgian Pro League extended its domestic media rights agreement with DAZN. The new deal, valued at EUR84.2 million per season until 2030, represents a reduction from the previous EUR103 million per season contract. This adjustment reflects the evolving dynamics of sports broadcasting rights and market conditions.
lottery contributions. Professional sports
Revenue from broadcasting rights, sponsorship and ticket sales supports the operational and financial stability of professional clubs. Football
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