Sports media in Belgium: football, cycling and the Red Devils

Belgian sport is followed in French through DH Les Sports+, RTBF Sport and Sport/Foot Magazine, and in Dutch through Sporza, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws, via websites, results apps and online broadcasts.

When a newspaper created the Tour of Flanders

In 1913 the Flemish sports daily Sportwereld, driven by Karel Van Wijnendaele, organised the first Ronde van Vlaanderen. The title was later absorbed by Het Nieuwsblad, which still gives its name to the Omloop raced at the end of every February.

DH Les Sports+, the French-language benchmark

La Dernière Heure, a popular Brussels daily, made sport its trademark and is now called DH Les Sports+. Football, cycling, tennis and motor sport fill most of its pages, with online editions updated live while matches are being played.

Sporza, the VRT's sports brand

Sporza brings together the radio, television and sports website of the Flemish public broadcaster under one brand. Its live commentary on the cycling classics, winter cyclo-cross and Red Devils matches draws a very large audience across Flanders.

What does RTBF Sport offer French speakers?

The RTBF broadcasts free-to-air some national team matches, classics such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Olympic events. Its website and the Auvio platform provide highlights, live text commentary and podcasts, with geographical restrictions on certain rights.

The Sport/Foot and Sport/Voetbal magazines

Roularta publishes Sport/Foot Magazine in French and Sport/Voetbalmagazine in Dutch every week. Tactical analysis, player profiles and features on transfers complement the daily news, particularly around the Pro League championship and its leading clubs.

Belgian football, the top story

Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Standard de Liège, Genk and Union Saint-Gilloise make the headlines every week. The page on the Belgian football press details club websites, fan forums and the media specialising in the beautiful game.

Cycling: a passion covered daily

The victories of Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert and the cyclo-cross specialists take up a great deal of space in Het Nieuwsblad, HLN and Sporza. For French-speaking readers, DH Les Sports+ and the RTBF closely follow the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Hockey, athletics, basketball: the other sports

The Red Lions in hockey, three-time Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam in the heptathlon, and the Belgian Cats in women's basketball have earned a regular place in the press. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps mobilises the motor sport pages every summer.

Results apps and websites

The Sporza, DH Les Sports+ and Het Nieuwsblad apps send goal notifications and live scores. Specialist sites such as Walfoot on the French-speaking side and Voetbalkrant on the Flemish side concentrate on football and transfer rumours.

Reading sport in two languages

The same event is often covered differently in the north and south of the country, depending on the clubs and riders followed. For general Dutch-language coverage, the page on the Flemish press presents the major dailies that host these sports sections.

The view from the French sports press

The Red Devils and Belgian cycling are also followed by L'Équipe, the Paris sports daily, whose analysis often complements the Brussels media. The selection of the French press online makes it possible to compare commentary on the big sporting occasions.

Free, subscription or streaming?

The Sporza and RTBF websites are free, whereas DH Les Sports+ keeps some analysis for subscribers. Broadcasts of the Belgian league depend on pay-TV rights holders, and video content is frequently unavailable outside Belgium for licensing reasons.

Following Belgian sport from abroad

1. Install the Sporza or DH Les Sports+ app to receive results, goal alerts and Pro League standings.
2. Listen to live radio commentary from the RTBF or Sporza, which is generally accessible outside Belgium, unlike some videos.
3. Read Sport/Foot Magazine or Sport/Voetbalmagazine each week for in-depth analysis and the transfer market.
4. Follow the official accounts of clubs and the Royal Belgian Football Association to confirm line-ups, transfers and injuries.
5. Compare how a French-language and a Flemish outlet cover the same match to gauge regional sensitivities.
6. Check the date of a transfer rumour before sharing it, since the same names come round in every window.

Belgian sports media: access and subscriptions

Key facts on Belgian sport

• Languages: French and Dutch, with competition names often bilingual
• Public broadcasters: RTBF Sport (French-language) and Sporza (Flemish)
• Leading French-language sports title: DH Les Sports+
• Weeklies: Sport/Foot Magazine and Sport/Voetbalmagazine, Roularta group
• Major events: Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix
• National teams: Red Devils, Red Flames, Red Lions, Belgian Cats
• Time zone: Central European Time; subscriptions in euros

What often misleads readers of Belgian sports news

• Taking a transfer rumour relayed by an unofficial account as news confirmed by the club or the player.
• Using illegal streaming sites to watch the Pro League or the Red Devils, with the risk of malware and fraud.
• Confusing a parody account imitating a Belgian sports journalist with the genuine one, especially during the transfer window.
• Sharing an old result or league table recirculated on social media without checking which season it refers to.
• Ignoring geo-blocking of RTBF or Sporza videos and seeking dubious copies instead of the official highlights.

Questions about Belgian sports media