Eleven Sports Network to bring European Hockey to Belgium, Poland and more

ELEVEN SPORTS NETWORK has today signed a multi-year agreement with Mediapro to bring the Euro Hockey League and EuroHockey Championships to fans in Belgium, capsule Luxembourg, Poland, Singapore and Taiwan.

As part of the agreement, ELEVEN will showcase LIVE and EXCLUSIVE action from the next five seasons of the Euro Hockey League – and the men’s and women’s 2019 and 2021 EuroHockey Championships – with the 2019 edition set to take place in Antwerp, Belgium.

Hockey has increased in popularity in Belgium after the men’s national hockey team won silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and every fan across the country will now be able to watch LIVE and EXCLUSIVE action via the ELEVEN SPORTS platform.

The opening round of the Euro Hockey League took place last weekend from 7-9 October in Banbridge, Ireland, and saw Belgium’s Royal Leopold HC defeat France’s Saint Germain HC 4-3, while Polish side KS AZS AWF Poznan lost 8-1 to Holcombe HC in their second appearance in the Euro Hockey League.

“This agreement is a significant milestone for ELEVEN as it means we will bring hockey to our fans in all our markets for the first time,” says Danny Menken, Group Managing Director, ELEVEN SPORTS NETWORK. “Hockey is an exciting, fast-paced sport which is full of skill and flair, and we are sure hockey fans will love following all the action from these two world-class competitions.”

“After a fantastic EHL first round in Banbridge with record breaking crowds, the EHL is proud to welcome yet another key broadcast partner, which proves the strength of club hockey in Europe,” says Hans-Erik Tuijt, Chairman, Euro Hockey League.“This partnership with ELEVEN means even more hockey fans will be watching the world’s best club competition around the world.”

The Euro Hockey League, which was introduced by the European Hockey Federation at the beginning of the 2007-8 season, aims to develop club hockey at the international level and provide a boost to the global development of the sport. Since its introduction, hockey has become one of the five most popular team sports across the globe.

“We are pleased to partner with ELEVEN and bring these two fantastic competitions to fans in five more countries,” says Marijke Fleuren, President, European Hockey Federation. “After the brilliant performance of the Belgian men’s national team at Rio 2016, Hockey is hot in Belgium right now. We are sure that the staging of the 2019 EuroHockey Championships in Antwerp, which serves as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be a particular hit not only with the Belgium fans, but fans across the globe.”