Belgian Pro League

Three broadcasters, including the incumbent rights-holder DAZN, are vying for domestic rights to the top flight of Belgian football in direct negotiations with the country’s Pro League.

The Belgian Pro League has extended the deadline for responses to its domestic media rights tender at the behest of broadcasters lining up bids.

The hazards of private equity investment in football was a strong theme at this year’s IMG x RedBird Summit with Lorin Parys, the Belgian Pro League CEO, issuing a warning over the associated payouts.

The Belgian Pro League will once again look for a five-season domestic broadcast rights agreement after launching its tender in conjunction with the IMG agency.

An absence of in-house commercial nous prompted the Belgian Pro League to take the unprecedented step of issuing a request for proposals to find a strategic partner.

IMG has been appointed by the Belgian Pro League in a wide-ranging advisory and media rights sales role

Belgium’s Pro League has been instructed to provide broadcast rights compensation of €14m ($15.6m) to telecoms operators Proximus, Telenet and Voo following the premature termination of the 2019-20 season as a result of Covid-19.

Leander Monbaliu, previously chief business officer at Belgian football’s Pro League, has joined LaSource, the Paris-based sports, digital and technology consultancy.

Leander Monbaliu, chief business officer at the Pro League, is to leave the Belgian football club body later this month. Monbaliu has been with the Belgian league for close to a decade in various guises

Belgian telecoms operators Proximus, Telenet and Voo have emerged successful from an arbitration ruling over broadcast rights compensation claims related to the Covid-hit 2019-20 Jupiler Pro League season