Belgian pay-television broadcaster Telenet has tabled a €900m ($1.22bn) bid for the rights to the Pro League, the top division of Belgian football, in a 12-year deal that would commence from the 2014-15 season, according to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Telenet currently has the rights for Pro League matches in a three-year deal, from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Its rights for Saturday afternoon matches are held on a non-exclusive basis along with pay-television rival Belgacom.
Het Laatste Nieuws said that Telenet had made the offer, which would increase in annual value over the term of the contract, in a bid to counter any potential offer from the Fox International Channels broadcast subsidiary of media company 21st Century Fox.
FIC made a surprise entry into the neighbouring Netherlands in 2012 with a 12-year deal for the domestic football league, the Eredivisie, spanning 2013-14 to 2024-25.