Telenet, VRT and RTL take Champions League rights

Belgian cable operator Telenet and TV broadcasters RTL and VRT have acquired the TV rights to UEFA Champions League football for the 2012-15 seasons.

Free-to-air broadcaster RTL has won the French-language rights to the best match in each kick-off slot every match week. RTL will show both live matches as well as a highlights programme each match week on Club RTL.

Flemish-language broadcaster VRT will show live the best match of the week on its channel Canvas, while Telenet will broadcast a selection of matches each match night in both kick-off slots on its three Sporting Telenet-branded channels. Both VRT and Telenet will broadcast highlights programmes each match week in the Flemish language.

“UEFA is delighted to continue its successful relationship with VRT in respect of the UEFA Europa League in Belgium and also to welcome each of RTL and Telenet in to the UEFA Europa League family of broadcasters. Each of the three broadcasters has significant experience of working on the UEFA club competitions and their extensive broadcast knowledge and strong programming commitments will ensure significant exposure of the competition across Belgium,” said UEFA.

Current rightsholders AB3 and EXQI Sport will continue to distribute UEFA Europa League games.