The Belgian Pro League and broadcaster DAZN will face each other on Monday at the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (CEPANI) over DAZN’s decision to terminate their broadcasting contract.
The Pro League initiated the emergency arbitration procedure after DAZN cancelled the deal, citing an inability to reach commercially viable agreements with telecom operators such as Proximus and Telenet.
Arbitration is often used in commercial disputes, according to Grégory Ernes, a sports law lawyer at the Atfield firm. Both parties have opted for a private jurisdiction, bypassing certain rules of state courts, and have consented to have CEPANI handle the matter in their place.
Two key advantages to arbitration are confidentiality and speed. Unlike state court proceedings, arbitration sessions at CEPANI are not public, ensuring discussions remain private and avoiding public scrutiny, Ernes explains.
The process is also significantly faster, involving only one instance. Typically, three arbitrators are appointed: each party selects one, and a president is jointly chosen. This streamlined arrangement allows for decisions to be made more quickly than they would be in state courts.
With a membership of around 300 experts—mainly university professors and lawyers - CEPANI also permits parties to nominate arbitrators outside its pool.
However, Ernes notes that only temporary measures can be issued in this emergency procedure. A final decision on the main case may take time due to complex issues. He suggests that a resolution before the end of the football season would already be a positive outcome.
In the meantime, CEPANI might compel DAZN to resume broadcasting the Jupiler Pro League (Belgium’s top division) and the Challenger Pro League (second division) until the deeper arbitration process concludes. Yet, Ernes emphasises that payment obligations are part of the main case and cannot be enforced during the emergency phase.
Even though the parties have relinquished some state court jurisdiction, they cannot bypass rules concerning public order. If disagreements arise over CEPANI’s decision, state courts such as the Brussels Court of First Instance can review the arbitration ruling strictly within the limits of its legality or for breaches of public order, Ernes says. The court cannot reassess the case itself, but checks the procedural validity, akin to the oversight of administrative rulings by Belgium’s Council of State.
This isn’t the first time the Pro League and broadcasters have turned to the CEPANI for dispute resolution. After the COVID-19-shortened 2019-2020 season, Proximus, Telenet, and Voo sought compensation from the CEPANI, which ruled in favour of the broadcasters.
DAZN secured exclusive television rights for Belgian football for the 2025-2030 period in December 2024, in a five-season deal worth €84.2 million annually.
