Belgium’s Pro League has avoided the kind of disruption that hit Ligue 1 last year
DAZN is set to pay 85% of its contractually agreed fee for the Belgian Pro League next season, following an interim arbitration ruling.
The decision is the latest development in the ongoing dispute between the streaming platform and Belgium’s premier football division, which started when DAZN attempted to end its domestic rights agreement in November.
In Belgium, telecom companies play a crucial role in the sports broadcasting ecosystem, bundling premium sports channels into their television and broadband packages. DAZN had expected partnerships with these operators to help distribute Pro League matches, broaden its audience and offset the cost of acquiring the rights.
However, after failing to reach agreements that it considered financially sustainable, the platform argued that continuing with the contract no longer made sense.
DAZN has previously attempted to reduce its payments to 60% of the agreed amount, but the arbitrator rejected the proposal and set the obligation at 85% for the upcoming season. A final ruling is expected next year.
The Pro League’s agreement with DAZN runs until 2030 and is worth approximately €84m per year, making the dispute a significant financial issue for clubs that rely so much on broadcast revenue.
Why DAZN looked for the door
The ruling follows a January decision in which CEPANI ordered DAZN to continue producing and distributing Belgian Pro League matches while arbitration was ongoing.
Under the earlier measure, DAZN was required to pay its full rights fee and continue negotiations with telecom operators to secure distribution. Several reports at the time suggested the arbitrator attached a potential penalty of up to €50,000 per day for non-compliance.
The dispute has attracted a lot of attention, mostly because of DAZN’s reputation, but also because it highlights the challenges facing streaming companies trying to disrupt traditional sports broadcasting models, particularly in smaller European markets.
Fixed-fee broadcast agreements are a foundation of many leagues’ finances, providing clubs with predictable income over several seasons. Speaking to Insider Sport earlier this year, Daniel Harraghy, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, noted that this model is the most common across Europe.
However, Harraghy explained that these deals are often secured with established pay-TV operators or premium broadcasters that already have large subscriber bases and existing distribution networks.
Streaming-first platforms face an equation that can look very different because buying exclusive rights for a significant fee without guaranteed subscribers can make turning those rights into a profitable business extremely challenging.
“For DAZN, a newer, streaming entrant to the Belgian market, acquiring exclusive rights can be costly and more risky to acquire without a guaranteed subscriber base to take on the expense,” Harraghy said.
What about the Juliper Pro League?
The Pro League’s future doesn’t look too dark, with telecom operators Proximus and Telenet rebuilding ties with DAZN and confirming new agreements in May for the 2026/27 campaign.
Under the new arrangement, all Jupiler Pro League matches will return to Telenet’s Play Sports package, with matches available via both linear channels and the DAZN app.
While Belgium appears to be heading toward a more stable outcome, the situation could have been far worse. Across the border in France, beIN’s withdrawal from its Ligue 1 agreement last year left the league without a broadcast partner and forced it to launch its own direct‑to‑consumer platform.
The French league has highlighted advantages such as greater control over data and customer relationships, but the financial reality has been bleak. Without a traditional broadcaster paying a fixed fee, clubs have missed out on significant sums they had become accustomed to under previous rights cycles.
