Sporza

Sporza is a multimedia brand of Belgian public-service radio and television network VRT specifically for coverage of sporting events. These broadcasts are organised by the Flemish government and mainly publicly financed.

Sporza originated as the third VRT network—in addition to VRT 1 and VRT Canvas/Ketnet—that only existed for 96 days from 31 May to 3 September 2004. The radio station of the same name on the medium wave (927 KHz AM) and DAB that covered sporting events was the successor of 927 Live, and continued to exist after that period. Various major sporting events were covered on the program prior, including the Summer Olympic Games. To guarantee normal programming on VRT1 and Ketnet during the 2004 Summer Olympics, VRT started the temporary third channel.

Another reason for establishing the Sporza television network was the protection of copyright. Belgian television pays for broadcasting rights to sport in Belgium, but not beyond. However, the sports competitions on VRT channels were also viewed widely in the Netherlands. To avoid additional costs and fines for this, Sporza was set up to only show in Belgium. The channel started in the second week of the 2004 French Open. In addition to sport programmes, the network also offered framework programs, including talk and quiz shows.

After closing the television network, Sporza continued to exist as a multimedia sports brand. All sports broadcasts on radio and television, such as Sporza at 12, take place under this name, as does its website. VRT also suggested the idea of giving the Sporza license to a publisher to set up a daily or weekly newspaper under the name.