Orange Belgium's revenue fell by 1.5% last year to €1.96 billion, partly due to the non-renewal of broadcasting rights for Belgian football.
Last summer, Orange failed to reach an agreement with DAZN, the holder of Belgian football broadcast rights, to show the Jupiler Pro League on its platforms. This loss seemingly led to a drop in income from customers who previously activated the football option.
However, Orange's CEO, Xavier Pichon, denied that. He stated the company has not lost customers over football rights, since no other major operator secured a distribution agreement with DAZN or RTBF for broadcasting the league. "Customers interested in this product did not switch to competitors," he said.
Pichon explained that Orange refused a deal with DAZN to avoid compromising its profit margins. The TV rights were deemed unsustainable without direct financial benefit from customers who wanted to watch the matches, rather than spreading costs across the broader customer base.
He expressed hope that Belgian football broadcasting rights will improve in the future, driven by fair agreements that benefit all stakeholders.
The decline in revenue is also attributed to reduced SMS traffic, which continued to decrease in 2025 as users shifted to the new RCS messaging standard, according to Antoine Chouc, Orange Belgium's Chief Financial Officer, during the company’s annual financial results presentation.
Additionally, more customers are opting for Orange's low-cost brand Hey!, which offers attractive pricing but generates lower revenue for the operator.
Pichon also raised concerns about IPTV piracy, which allows illegal access to leagues, including the Jupiler Pro League, criticising the lack of decisive action on the issue in Belgium, similar to that in Spain and Italy.
