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- ESPN has been home of competition since 2013
- New agreement extends deal for five years from 2025
- Arrangement also includes second division and women’s top flight
ESPN is set to remain the exclusive domestic broadcaster of Dutch top-flight soccer until 2030 after all 18 Eredivisie clubs approved a reported €750 million (US$789 million) deal to replace the current contract, which expires in 2025.
The new deal includes the rights to all Eredivisie matches, as well as every game in the men’s second division and the Dutch Women’s Premier League from 2024. ESPN stopped broadcasting matches from the second division back in 2021.
Both ESPN and Eredivisie CV, the commercial organisation that manages the broadcast rights, have hailed the agreement as a positive one for the Dutch game at all levels, noting an immediate increase in revenues.
‘Over the past year, Eredivisie CV, in cooperation with the advisory group consisting of Ajax, AZ, Feyenoord, PSV, RKC Waalwijk and Vitesse, has been working towards a result that does justice to the value of Dutch professional football, ensures continuity and financial security for the immediate future and provides opportunities to further develop the Eredivisie and Eredivisie clubs, both (inter)nationally and commercially,’ said Eredivisie CV in a statement.
‘The new media deal is a positive outcome for Dutch Football fans, as well as clubs in the Eredivisie, Keuken Kampioen Divisie (Dutch First Division), Azerion Vrouwen Eredivisie (Dutch Women’s Premier Division) and KNVB Beker (Dutch Cup). Each club will receive a substantial increase in revenue.’
“This [deal] creates a solid financial basis for [Dutch football], which is important for the continued growth and development of its competitions in terms of quality,” ESPN said. “But, above all, we will work together with the clubs to build a platform on which Dutch club football is widely available and accessible to all supporters. That is and remains our mission.”
The agreement extends a relationship that dates back to 2012 when Fox Sports, which became ESPN following Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, acquired a controlling stake in the in-house Eredivisie Live venture formed in 2008.
SportsPro says…
At €150 million (US$158 million) a season, the value of the contract is impressive for a league of the Eredivisie’s size and for the population of the Netherlands.
However, the deal is reportedly worth less than a rival bid made by a consortium of television and telecommunications firms, and half the duration of the ten-year extension originally envisaged. The rival group, which included KPN, VodafoneZiggo, T-Mobile, and Delta was said to have offered €200 million (US$210 million) a season.
They believed the process was anti-competitive, but the decision to spurn additional revenue reflects the strength of the Eredivisie’s relationship with the ESPN, as well as the international exposure opportunities afforded by Disney’s global footprint.
In a challenging market, it appears as though stability is the key priority, while a five-year extension as opposed to ten gives the Eredivisie greater flexibility in the medium-term should the situation change.