Eleven, Jupiler Pro League new international distribution
March 5, 2021
Eleven Belgium and the Jupiler Pro League have secured new international exposure for Belgian club football with streaming platforms MyCujoo, OneFootball and LIVENow. As a result of the Mediapro brokered deals, the Pro League will now be available in major European markets including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Since the start of their Belgian football collaboration in summer 2020, Eleven and the Pro League have been committed to driving innovation across their partnership, including in their approach to international distribution. They have partnered with Mediapro, an expert player on the global stage in sports rights management, to lead this distribution effort. Mediapro last week secured an agreement with ESPN to bring the Belgian league to fans throughout the Americas and the Oceania region.
Eleven, Mediapro and the Pro League are now going one step further in the international distribution of Belgian club football, to make all Pro League games available in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Scandinavia and Ireland. Until the Play Offs, access to matches will be free with MyCujoo, OneFootball and LIVENow. A pay-per-view model will then be applied to the final rounds of the competition.
The agreement capitalises on the network of Eleven and its parent company, the sports and media investment platform Aser Ventures. MyCujoo was acquired by the Eleven Group in November 2020. LIVENow was launched by Aser Ventures in summer 2020. And OneFootball collaborated with Eleven Belgium in 2019/20, to bring fans pay-per-view access to Eleven’s European football rights.
MyCujoo is a global streaming platform, delivering thousands of hours of live sport to fans. OneFootball is a football media platform, providing fans with a comprehensive football content offering that includes live-streaming, videos, breaking news, live scores, data and stats. LIVENow brings sports, concerts, workouts, stand-up comedy, inspirational speakers and more to screens around the world.
Through these new partnerships, Eleven and the Pro League are responding to the growing trend towards digital consumption of live sport via streaming services.
Guillaume Collard, Managing Director Eleven Belgium and Luxembourg and Chief Rights Acquisitions Officer, Eleven Group, said: “As part of our ‘Home of Belgian Football’ project, we want to offer Belgian club football even greater international exposure and to deliver for fans wanting to consume their sport in new ways. This agreement with three leading international streaming services is a big step towards achieving that mission, in collaboration with the Pro League.”
Oliver Seibert, Sports Rights Manager, Mediapro, added: “Our international distribution strategy is based on trusted partnerships with specialized broadcasters in the territories. We really look for long term solutions that fit the growth potential of the Pro League. At the same time, we are also very much adapting to the new rules of consumption behavior. In this sense, we really value our partnership with Eleven, the Pro League and its clubs, who have all proven to be on the forefront of innovation in how they connect with their consumer base. Through this new collaboration with MyCujoo, OneFootball and LIVENow, we also bring the knowledge and experience of three frontrunners in digital distribution models that are adapted to individual needs and preferences.”
Leander Monbaliu, Chief Business Officer & Head of Legal, Pro League, added: “In Belgium, the reach of Belgian football is already historically large thanks to the collaboration with Eleven Sports. In addition, efforts are being made to create innovative partnerships – just think of KBC Goal Alerts – and technology that benefits the fan experience – such as the greater focus on data. Internationally, we follow the same recipe with Eleven Sports and Mediapro: through technology and platforms that make it possible for fans to customise the offer to their preference, we are expanding our audience and we can make our clubs more visible internationally.”
Pedro Presa, Group Chief D2C Officer, Eleven Group and MyCujoo co-founder, added: “As part of the Eleven family, we’re delighted to provide elite football to both passionate fans of Belgian football and those being introduced to the ProLeague’s storied and historic clubs for the first time on MyCujoo. Our tens of millions of users are football fanatics who don’t just watch the teams they love, but up to 82 per cent enjoy live streams from clubs, leagues, and competitions played outside their own territory. With a proven history of helping broaden fan bases by bringing teams ever closer to their supporters, we’re ready to play a key role in further internationalising the image of Belgian club football.”
Lucas von Cranach, CEO and founder, OneFootball, added: “The Belgian Pro League is an innovative and exciting league and we’re thrilled to be able to bring fans across Europe closer to the action through OneFootball. Our flexible and convenient approach to in-app live streaming in combination with our very young and highly engaged userbase of football fanatics, will provide new opportunities and increased awareness for the competition in some of OneFootball’s key markets. Watching Belgian top football has never been so easy, and we look forward to working closely with all partners involved.”
Peter Leible, Head of Sport, LIVENow, concluded: “We’re delighted to partner with our sister company Eleven Sports to showcase the best of Belgian club football to our audiences across Europe. The Pro League is an exciting edition to our growing portfolio of sports content and we’re excited to get started.”