It is code red in Belgian football. Rights holder DAZN has dropped a bombshell by unilaterally cancelling its contract with the Pro League. The stakes are incredibly high: DAZN claims they are running a structural loss of 50 million euros per year if they continue. But while a legal battle of titans erupts, the clubs are facing financial disaster, sponsors are furious, and the sport itself threatens to return to the Stone Age.
Let’s dig deeper than the headlines. What are the facts, what are the excuses, and why are the clubs shaking in their boots?
DAZN wants out of the contract and cites two main reasons. But do they hold water?
The Claim: DAZN argues that the current contract forces them to operate structurally at a loss. They speak of a 50 million euro hole per year if the current situation continues. According to them, Belgian legislation forbids ‘selling at a loss’.
The Reality Check: This is legally slippery ground. The law banning sales at a loss is primarily there to protect consumers (against dumping). In the corporate world (B2B), making a loss is simply called entrepreneurial risk. The Pro League will undoubtedly argue in court: "You bid on the market, you miscalculated. That is painful, but it is not a valid reason for breach of contract."
The Claim: The contract requires a deal with at least two operators (such as Telenet and Proximus) to ensure wide distribution. That deal does not exist.
The Cause: Why is there no deal? Because DAZN is insisting on bundling. They want to force operators to buy their full, expensive portfolio (including Serie A, La Liga, NFL). Telenet and Proximus refuse this because the Belgian customer only wants the Jupiler Pro League and doesn't want to pay for extras. DAZN is now using the failure of their own aggressive strategy as an excuse to dissolve the contract.
Anyone who thinks this is a coincidence hasn’t been paying attention. DAZN employs an aggressive strategy across Europe. Just look at France: there, DAZN bought the Ligue 1 rights and subsequently charged exorbitant prices (up to €40/month). The result? Fans cancelled en masse, piracy exploded, and DAZN is missing its financial targets by a mile. The pattern is recognizable: "buy" the market with huge sums, and if the aggressive recouping strategy fails, threaten to pull the plug.
The legal battle is one thing, but the consequences for the clubs are potentially catastrophic.
The Budget Hole: The millions from TV rights have long been factored into the budgets for this season. If this cash flow stops, clubs will no longer be able to pay player salaries. For smaller professional clubs, acute bankruptcy looms.
The Sponsor Nightmare: Clubs sell visibility. Sponsors pay good money to see their logo on TV. If matches are not broadcast, the sponsors don't get what they paid for. This will inevitably lead to damage claims and the cancellation of sponsorship contracts. A double financial blow.
No Images = No VAR: Even more worrying is the sporting impact. The VAR (Video Assistant Referee) depends entirely on the footage DAZN provides. No production crews means no VAR. The integrity of the competition is directly at stake.
And the fan? They are merely a pawn.
The Loyalty Issue: In hindsight, it’s easy to say: "The Pro League should have stayed with Telenet/Proximus." Unfortunately, strict competition laws forced the Pro League to launch a public tender. They were not allowed to reward loyalty; they had to choose the highest bid (the famous 85 million, which now turns out to be a bubble).
The 'Golden Handcuffs': As a subscriber, you are stuck. Did you pay for an annual subscription? Good luck getting your money back. Do you have a monthly subscription? Then you face a dilemma.
Personal note: I have a DAZN subscription myself. I would like to cancel out of protest, but DAZN has smartly bundled the content. If I cancel, I also lose my NFL and Serie A access. As a sports fan, you are effectively held hostage by a package you only half asked for.
The bomb has burst, but the dust hasn't settled yet. What can we expect in the coming weeks?
The Legal Trenches (Summary Proceedings): The Pro League is going to court to demand via summary proceedings (injunction) that DAZN continues to broadcast and pay, under penalty of forfeiting massive sums. The chance of success is real, but a forced marriage rarely produces good television.
The "Fire Sale" to the Providers: If DAZN leaves or goes bankrupt, the rights become available again. Telenet and Proximus will be the laughing third parties. They will want to take over the rights, but at a much lower price. The 85 million will plummet, which will still leave the clubs gasping for financial air.
The Doom Scenario: DAZN stops immediately, no emergency solution is found, and the screens go black. This means chaos: no matches on TV and a league that loses all credibility.
DAZN is trying to pass a 50 million euro loss onto Belgian football. The Pro League, blinded by greed in the past, has its back against the wall. But the real bill is being paid by the fan, the clubs watching their budgets evaporate, and the sponsors seeing their logos disappear from the screen.
It’s going to be a hot autumn for Belgian football.
