Pro League

The Belgian Pro League, also known as the Belgian First Division A, is Belgium's premier professional football league. Established in 1895, it ranks among the world's oldest football leagues and holds the distinction of being the continent's oldest ongoing top-tier league. Notably, in 1974, the Belgian Pro League became one of Europe's pioneers in adopting a playoff system, a feature that has since defined how the league determines its champion.

Nevertheless, the Belgian top flight maintains several parallels with Europe's other major championships, featuring a round-robin format where teams play each other both at home and away. Additionally, the Belgian Pro League operates a promotion and relegation system, sending the poorest performers each season to the Challenger Pro League, the country's second division. Conversely, the top-performing teams earn coveted spots in UEFA's premier club competitions, namely the UEFA Champions League, but also the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.

Over time, the Belgian Pro League has witnessed substantial growth, with clubs like Anderlecht, Club Brugge, and Standard Liège achieving remarkable success. However, the league's early dominance belonged to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, which clinched four consecutive league titles between 1903-04 and 1906-07 while also winning six of the first 15 campaigns. Furthermore, the league has garnered international acclaim for nurturing world-class talents such as Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.

In 2005, Proximus TV, previously known as Belgacom TV, secured the TV rights for the Belgian Pro League for €36 million per season. Three years later, the rights were resold to Belgacom Group in collaboration with public broadcasters VRT and RTBF for €45.7 million per season. In June 2020, Eleven Sports entered the scene, securing an exclusive global rights deal for five years, spanning from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Meanwhile, ESPN has contributed to the league's growth in the USA market by acquiring broadcasting rights from 2021 to 2025, with ESPN+ offering live streaming.