Eredivisie CV and the 18 Eredivisie clubs have unanimously reached an agreement on an negotiated outcome that hands the broadcast rights to ESPN through until 2030.
The proposal by the Disney-owned sports network was put to a vote on Tuesday.
Financial terms have not been disclosed, but is believed to be in the region of €750 million.
Earlier this month, the rival consortium of Dutch telecom companies including Vodafone and Ziggo, took their bid to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). They argued there was no fair bidding process.
Over the past year, Eredivisie CV has works with an advisory group consisting of Ajax, AZ, Feyenoord, PSV, RKC Waalwijk, and Vitesse to fully exploit commercial opportunities.
Eredivisie CV says all clubs will receive substantially higher revenues, and starting from 2024, all matches in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and Azerion Women’s Eredivisie which will be broadcast live on ESPN. Additionally, sponsorship rights and international media rights of the Eredivisie will fall under the umbrella organization of the 18 Eredivisie clubs.
In a statement, ESPN said is was pleased with the news: “We, at ESPN, are eager to continue being the unifying factor for football enthusiasts in the Netherlands by bringing Dutch club football to people’s homes. This not only provides a solid financial foundation for football, which is essential for maintaining the quality and development of the leagues, but it also helps us, along with the clubs, to build a platform where Dutch club football is widely available and accessible to all supporters.”
It’s not yet known whether the highlights package broadcast from the NOS will continue.
