The Pro League submitted a request for emergency arbitration to CEPANI, the Brussels arbitration tribunal, on Wednesday. It is asking that DAZN be required to honour its contractual obligations to Belgian football clubs until a ruling is issued on the merits.
“This would mean for fans and clubs that the production and broadcasting of the competitions would be guaranteed,” the Pro League said in a brief statement. “Pending the emergency arbitrator’s decision, the Pro League expects DAZN to honour its contractual obligations.”
The move does not yet guarantee broadcasts for the coming weekend, as a ruling before Friday is not guaranteed. And if CEPANI does not rule in the Pro League’s favour, it will have to find alternatives to ensure that Belgian football returns to screens.
According to Flemish Media minister Cieltje Van Achter, the dispute’s impact extends far beyond DAZN subscribers. “When DAZN stops providing footage of football, news and radio coverage at our broadcasters will also come under pressure,” she warned. “Basic news and radio coverage then risks becoming impossible.”
Negotiating tactic
DAZN argues that it cannot fulfil the agreement with the Pro League because it has failed to reach deals with telecom operators. But lawyer and media law specialist Alexis Hallemans considers that a negotiating tactic rather than a valid legal argument.
“It is strange legal reasoning, as DAZN already knew the risks of the market,” Hallemans told Belga. “Negotiations with telecom operators may have shown that its margins would plummet. Therefore, what is happening here is a negotiating technique to bring the parties back to the table to force better conditions.”
© BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY
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