Sports and entertainment giant IMG will lead the media rights sales of Belgian soccer’s Pro League after securing a wide-ranging strategic partnership role with the national governing body.
IMG’s remit will be developing a distribution strategy and packaging that extracts the greatest value from the sale of the Pro League's domestic rights, starting with its upcoming tender for the 2025-26 season onwards covering the top-tier Jupiler Pro League, second-tier Challenger Pro League, as well as Super League and Croky Cup knockout competition.
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IMG will also have a role in distributing the Pro League’s rights outside of Belgium.
As part of the new partnership, IMG will work directly with Pro League clubs, advising them on their commercial strategies and growth within the media industry.
The Pro League’s domestic and international rights are currently held by sports streaming service Eleven Sports, which was acquired by DAZN earlier this year, in a five-year deal running through the 2024-25 season. Eleven tapped sports agency Mediapro to distribute international rights in partnership with the league.
Lorin Parys, chief executive of Pro League, said: “We aim to grow the league as a sports entertainment company by leveraging the enormous reach the football game represents in Belgium. Our partnership with IMG is part of that ambition for our clubs and the league.
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By GlobalData“The reach, network, and expertise that IMG brings to the table will ensure that we can create the most interesting proposition for our fans and the best possible value for our clubs.”
The deal expands IMG’s relationship with the Pro League after initially securing a contract to collect and commercialize the Pro League’s fastpath data in a five-year agreement with European Leagues running from 2022-23 to 2027-28.
It also adds to IMG’s growing list of soccer media rights distribution contracts, including selling international rights to the Ditch Eredivisie and Saudi Pro League, as well as national team tournaments and club competitions organized by Concacaf, soccer’s governing body across North and Central America and the Caribbean.
It has also recently been appointed the global sponsorship agency of the Confederation of African Football, covering the governing body’s 11 competitions.
Last month, meanwhile, IMG announced it had retained its position as the exclusive media, official data, and streaming rights partner of the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the commercial and marketing body for soccer in the country.
Beatrice Saunier, senior vice president of media for France & Benelux and EMEA business development at IMG, has now said: “Our pioneering in-house research, analysis, and advisory capabilities enable us to deliver authentic, meaningful, and actionable insights for partners.
“We have an in-depth understanding of sport, media, brands, and fans which means we can provide a strategic lens on key commercial drivers.
“We’re looking forward to working with the Belgian Pro League to help unlock the commercial potential of its professional game at a key strategic moment for the sport’s development.”
