The Pro League and the MP & Silva agency have today launched a tender for the broadcast rights to the top division of Belgian football for the three seasons from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
The tender document has been issued after being approved by the Belgian competition authorities. Any and all interested parties are potential candidates for the rights.
Under the terms of the tender, matchdays of the Pro League will still be scheduled on the same days as they are now – Friday, Saturday and Sunday – but the match timings will be slightly modified.
There will be six weekly kick-off times, with one match played on Friday evenings at 8:30pm, and one game scheduled for broadcast at 6pm and three at 8pm on Saturdays. On Sundays, games will be broadcast at 2:30pm, 6pm and 8pm.
Six packages will be available for bidding with certain lots offered on both an exclusive and non-exclusive basis, as well as for all platforms. Furthermore, lots three to six will be offered separately for the French-speaking and the Dutch-speaking part of the country.
Package One includes rights to five live matches per week, a preview show and magazine, highlights of all matches, and delayed broadcast of all matches in Package Two. Package Two includes rights to three live matches per week, a preview show and magazine, highlights of all matches, and delayed broadcast of all matches in Package One. During the regular season, matches from both packages will be played at fixed times. All matches, including "Classicos", will be allocated in a balanced way between the two packages.
Package Three includes the right to show evening magazines each matchday, and live rights to the Belgian Super Cup. Package Four includes exclusive rights to the magazine show on a Monday evening. Package Five is for near-live clips of all matches via internet and mobile. It includes up to 10 clips per match, of up to 20 seconds each – such rights expire 60 minutes after each match. Package Six is for delayed clips of all matches via internet and mobile, but is limited to an on-demand basis. It includes a maximum of three clips of three minutes each per match, and up to 30 clips per matchday.
In addition the tender also offers interested parties the possibility to bid for the ‘Pro League Channel’. This channel is entirely produced and ready to broadcast as a turnkey solution to the platform that acquires it.
The Pro League said in a statement: “Under favourable circumstances around Belgian football, and aiming at taking professional Belgian football to the next level, the tender strives to enhance the visibility of each club member of the Pro League. It will optimise the Pro League’s media rights value while reinforcing its ties with all Belgian football’s partners.”
MP & Silva last week said three “international broadcasters” are in contention for the rights to the Pro League. The league in February appointed MP & Silva as its worldwide media adviser in a six-year deal, from 2014-15 to 2019-20. Pay-television broadcasters Telenet and Belgacom both have rights for the league in the current three-year cycle, from 2011-12 to 2013-14.
The tender for the 2014-15 to 2016-17 seasons closes on May 15.