Belgian Pro League and New Rightsholder Eleven Sports Partner With WSC Sports

Pro League Forward, the Pro League’s recently announced innovation platform, announced last week a multiyear partnership with WSC Sports, the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven sports video technology, to help bring fans closer to football by delivering real-time football highlights.

Together with Eleven Sports, the Pro League will utilize WSC Sports’ innovative technology to bring to life its mission statement of bringing fans “Closer to Football”, harnessing the power of automation to create and publish live highlights and digital content. This will be used by the League body itself and all the clubs in the top two divisions of Belgium’s professional football league, the Jupiler Pro League and the 1B Pro League.

Eleven Sports, exclusive broadcaster of the Pro League competitions, shall also make use of the WSC Sports technology to enrich its content and distribution.

This marks the first time a European sports organization, in collaboration with a rightsholder, has partnered with WSC Sports to offer the league’s clubs and distribution partners such streamlined access to content. On WSC sports’ client list are various football bodies such as the Bundesliga, J League and MLS, as well as other top global sports leagues including the NBA, NHL and many more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WSC Sports (@wsc_sports)

Pro League and Eleven Sports moved to seal this deal on behalf of, and for the benefit of, the league’s clubs and distribution partners, to help them better connect with fans and grow their fanbases domestically and internationally. One of the most attractive parts of the deal for Pro League teams is WSC Sports’ ability to provide real-time goal alert videos sent directly to club apps. These will play a particularly important role in helping bring fans into the match while stadium restrictions remain in place.

The partnership with WSC Sports is part of Pro League Forward, an innovative project that aims to bring fans closer to football and helps establish the league as a forward thinker in early adoption of sports tech solutions.

“Especially in these challenging times, we need to innovate to allow clubs to connect with their fanbase much more. The partnership with WSC Sports will be a key factor for the Pro League’s and clubs’ growth, allowing clubs to substantially increase their domestic and international reach and creating new forms of fan-engagement around their games” says Leander Monbaliu, Chief Business Officer of the Pro League.

Guillaume Collard, Managing Director Eleven Sports Belgium and Luxemburg and Head of Acquisitions Eleven Sports Group: “Football consumption is becoming increasingly fragmented and differentiated. As a sports channel and the new rightsholder of the Pro League competitions, we must respond to this evolution with a varied and innovative offer for the fans. The collaboration with WSC is completely in line with this strategy. We are therefore very pleased to enter into this partnership with the Pro League and WSC.”

“We are delighted to be working with the Belgian Pro League and Eleven Sports and help expose one of the most exciting leagues in Europe to a much larger audience, bringing fans closer to the teams than ever before” said Yitav Topaz, VP Strategic Partnerships at WSC Sports, “We’re looking forward to a long association with such an innovative partner who is always looking to adopt new technologies and strives to put its teams first”.