DAZN has ended its domestic rights agreement for Belgian top-tier football, plunging the Pro League’s broadcast plans into chaos and raising the possibility of a TV blackout. The streaming platform has cancelled its multi-year contract to broadcast the Jupiler Pro League, stating the agreement “ended in accordance with Belgian law” following months of stalled negotiations with clubs and major telecom providers.
DAZN was unable to secure carriage with key distributors like Proximus and Telenet, leaving games accessible only through its own app – a model the company deemed not commercially viable. The Pro League had granted DAZN the domestic rights for the 2025-30 seasons in December 2024 in a deal anticipated to generate at least €84.2 million per season, a decrease from the preceding €103 million agreement.
Despite that price decrease, DAZN contends that operating without broader distribution meant it would be selling at a loss and could not continue under the initial terms. Massimo D’Amario, managing director of DAZN Belgium, stated the company had “no other choice” but to let the contract lapse under Belgian law, asserting “no company should be forced to operate at a loss”.
The Pro League has responded with anger, accusing DAZN of unilaterally ending the collaboration and promising to take “all necessary legal measures” to ensure the platform fulfills its commitments. With the decision occurring mid-season, there is immediate uncertainty regarding whether upcoming fixtures will be broadcast domestically, with both the rights holder and league facing pressure to find a short-term solution. Belgian consumer affairs minister Rob Beenders has warned DAZN it must refund customers if screens go dark, describing the situation as “dramatic” for fans who have paid to watch their clubs.
The collapse of the deal also presents a financial challenge for Pro League clubs, which heavily rely on media-rights revenue for their budgets. Some teams have already started exploring a direct-to-consumer streaming service as a possible long-term alternative to traditional rights sales, a discussion that will likely accelerate following DAZN’s departure. This comes as the streamer recalibrates its football strategy, having already withdrawn from France’s Ligue 1 rights amid a legal dispute over unpaid fees and shifted its focus toward global properties such as FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup and a potential bid for a new worldwide Champions League package from 2027.