The Pro League and its clubs are operating in a new media context, with evolving fan behaviour, new competitive forces and a dependency on digital.

The Pro League and its clubs are facing a new reality.

The shift to digital streaming, OTT and cord-cutting is accelerating, causing a shift in stakeholder strategies, as well as volatility and uncertainty in the traditionally stable sports media rights market.

The modern football fan is changing and adapting to new trends, and younger demographics are not consuming content in the same way as traditional fans, demanding new channels to engage with and experience the game.

The blurring of sport, entertainment and media, coupled with advanced technologies, mean the Belgian Pro League and its clubs now find themselves in the entertainment industry, competing with new forces.

Sports entities have seen traditional audiences shrink or shift away from TV and are responding by further developing their D2C capabilities so that they can own fan relationships and monetise them in future.

On top of that, football is facing its own issues

The European football ecosystem survived the latest attack on its togetherness with the shutdown of the Super League, but this story did reveal just how misaligned the different stakeholders are.

FIFA and UEFA continue to strengthen their models through the maximisation of revenue from their flagship properties and the distribution of funding through solidarity and development mechanisms.

Financial Fair Play has existed for over ten years, with improvements across clubs and leagues. However, the pandemic revealed the economic fragility of European football and the dearth of profitable clubs across the continent.

Investors from different regions are pouring into football with different strategies for growth and profitability, seeking rising value rather than pure profitability.