Brussels - You've probably already watched a game on Eleven Sports. This TV channel deliberately chose Schaerbeek to build out its startup. Since 2020, they have been broadcasting the Belgian league. "As a bilingual and international broadcaster, Brussels was an obvious choice," said COO Jan Mosselmans. "The mobility around Media Park and the proximity of partner companies are important assets."
Today, Eleven has 50 permanent employees. Yet you can still notice a chill start-up atmosphere in their offices at Reyers Avenue. Those who love sports and soccer feel like a kid in 'Charly and the Chocolate Factory' at their editorial office. One of their young reporters explains, with sore legs and red on his cheeks, how he could barely follow the rhythm of the KRC Genk Ladies. He had been training with them for a sports episode. "We want to keep the creative start-up mentality. A lot of employees start with us through an internship, by the way. That's how we look for talents." Jan Mosselmans is proud that Eleven also launched a female life commentator for the first time for a pro-league game. This is the atmosphere they strive for.
Quentin van den Hove, Open Vld deputy-mayor in Schaarbeek, sees the added value of mediapark.brussels. In 2013, the Region decided together with the municipality to anchor the proximity of the VRT, RTBf, RTL-tvi and the many production houses and logistics companies in the media sector in the redesign of the district. "The choice of Eleven shows that the decisions Brussels made eventually paid off. The district will turn into a new attractive neighborhood that integrates the economic sector with green and residential projects. The district combines 1,400 additional homes with more than 5,000 jobs in the media sector, accounting for more than 60 media companies" summarizes Quentin van den Hove.
Eleven has 50 permanent employees, but on weekends, more than 500 people work on the broadcasts: captation, content, logistics ... you name it. They have built a whole ecosystem around the rights they acquired for broadcasting Belgian soccer. They work with many other companies: desert fish, VRT, RTBf, DPG, logistics companies ... allowing everyone to surf along on Belgian soccer.
Eleven has thus built a successful business model around sports broadcasting. They truly believe in the connecting power of sports. Therefore, the tone of the programs must always be respectful. They want to participate in sporting events in the city to anchor sport as a unifying factor: by supporting local sporting events, responding to the fan experience of supporters, highlighting diversity and ambassadorship of strong personalities such as Karen Northschield who survived the attacks of March 2016 and is committed to sending out a positive and sport-minded message to the youth. Eleven also anticipates the transition to new forms of media consumption: through apps with customized content, and not just linear through TV programs. "Like every company we encounter on our company visits, Eleven has concrete policy questions and experiences concrete problems" concludes Quentin afterwards. "But above all, they radiated entrepreneurship, with a Brussels and even Schaerbeekan edge."