Teleco companies are interested in bidding on football rights

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Belgacom Telecommunications is planning to introduce interactive digital television in 2005 and sees football content as a means to drive subscriptions, therefore has revealed it will bid next season's Jupiler League TV rights. Belgacom will face competition from domestic rival Telenet Communications, which is also believed to hold plans to offer its own interactive TV service, and other broadcasters including publicly owned RTBF and VRT, Vivendi Universal's Canal Plus and Flemish commercial channel VTM, which are also likely to be interested in securing the rights. The Professional League is hoping for a significant increase in value from the current three-year deal, signed in 2002 with domestic broadcaster Canal Plus, reportedly worth €15m.