Sports broadcasting rights holders have been on edge for many months. Illegal streaming and IPTV sites are increasingly attracting fans who no longer necessarily have the budget to pay increasingly expensive subscriptions. Canal+ and the LFP, for example, have obtained a French court order for VPNs to block pirate sites.
A multi-billion dollar loss for rights holders
A study by Enders, a research company specializing in media, entertainment, and telecommunications, has taken a close look at the situation in Europe and is sounding the alarm. Several "big tech" companies are believed to be responsible for the situation, starting with Amazon, whose Fire TV sticks are accused of facilitating piracy. While these devices provide access to legitimate streaming platforms, they are also a very affordable gateway to illegal IPTV, particularly match broadcasts.
59% of Britons surveyed by Enders who said they had watched pirated content in 2024 using a physical device indicated they had used an Amazon product. Enders highlights the dangers of giving bank details and personal information to an illegal IPTV service. But despite the potential dangers, users of these services remain very numerous.
The American giant's streaming sticks are said to be responsible for "billions of dollars" in piracy, the report accuses. It is true that it is relatively easy to jailbreak these small devices to install fraudulent apps. Amazon, which itself holds sports rights (the French Open, for example), told the BBC that "pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights and compromises the security and privacy of our customers." The spokesperson also assured that the company was working "hard" to protect its customers from the risks associated with pirated content, and warned users against installing or using applications from "unknown sources." Amazon isn't alone in the dock. Meta is also taking the rap for allowing ads for IPTV and illegal streaming services on Facebook. As for Google and Microsoft, it's their Widevine and PlayReady DRMs that are singled out in the report. Twenty years after their launch, these software locks, widely used by the video industry, need a complete and urgent overhaul.
Enders deplores the "lack of engagement" of these two companies with content owners, for whom it would be a "low priority." This observation, obviously shared by rights holders, will not help reduce legal actions against web infrastructure managers.
Read 3 years in prison, 300,000 euros fine: this is what IPTV pirates could soon risk
Source: BBC
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