PlayRight has distributed neighbouring rights coming from cable rights for the first time. The amount involved is €1,028,092.42 for the reference years 2015-2022. This distribution is not only a financial boost for our concerned members, but also the result of negotiations to strengthen the rights of actors and musicians in Belgium.

What are cable rights?  

Since 2015, performers have been entitled to remuneration for the retransmission of their artistic performances on television via cable. Since 2019, this right also applies in case their performances are broadcast via direct injection. Since 2022, a new law further extends this right to any retransmission via any medium other than cable. There is mandatory collective management of these remuneration rights. 

In other words, regardless of the means used to broadcast artistic performances on television, performers have a non-transferable remuneration right that they cannot waive. 

By “retransmission by technical means other than cable”, the law refers to simultaneous/live retransmission within a TV or radio programme performed by a party other than the broadcaster, whether via satellite, DVB-T, IPTV networks or mobile networks. The law also covers live streaming over the internet, provided it takes place in a controlled and secure environment for authorised users. Note: the original broadcast by the broadcaster must not have been made online to qualify. Online broadcasts “on demand”, deferred viewing (replay) or streaming, on the other hand, are excluded.  

What is the distribution based on?  

PlayRight has negotiated agreements with Belgian cable distributors for the artistic performances of performers they broadcast via cable. This allows us to make an initial distribution today.  

For this distribution, we based ourselves on the lists of TV channels defined by our Board of Directors. The list of channels is shown by reference year:  

The rights for an audiovisual work can come from: a performance in an audiovisual recording, dubbing and dubbing and/or a musical performance within an audiovisual recording (‘music in audiovisual’).  

Missed deadline?  

For these reference years, there will be an additional distribution in 2024/2025 and a final, concluding distribution in 2026. The deadline to declare your repertoire is 31 December 2025.  

Is anything still unclear? If so, please contact your account manager or send an email to members@playright.be.