As piracy shifted to streaming, however, enforcement became more complicated. Unlike BitTorrent, IPTV services don\u2019t broadcast users\u2019 IP addresses publicly, which has made individual subscribers difficult to identify and prosecute.<\/p>\n
However, IPTV operators and resellers keep records. When investigators reach those records, subscribers can find themselves exposed.<\/p>\n
19 IPTV Subscribers Fined<\/h2>\n
Last week, the French football league\u00a0LFP<\/a>\u00a0announced that the Arras Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office reached financial settlements with 19 subscribers of a pirate IPTV service. These users signed a\u00a0criminal settlement<\/a>\u00a0that requires them to pay a fine ranging from \u20ac300 to \u20ac400.<\/p>\n The criminal investigation was started following a complaint from LFP. The prosecutors eventually identified 21 defendants and have now settled with 19 of them. The remaining two defendants are resellers, who are summoned to appear before the Arras criminal court in April, Zataz\u00a0reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is the first case in France where IPTV users are sanctioned. While the plea agreements are relatively modest, LFP stresses that the law provides for penalties of up to \u20ac7,500.<\/p>\n The authorities did not disclose how the subscribers were identified, but IPTV resellers typically hold customer records including email addresses and payment details. If the authorities collected this as evidence, they could effectively expose the subscribers.<\/p>\n The Arras case is not the first time European IPTV subscribers have faced consequences. In Italy, the Guardia di Finanza identified thousands of subscribers following the dismantling of a pirate network, and rights holders subsequently sent civil damages demands on top of the criminal fines.<\/p>\n Last May, the authorities\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0that 2,282 pirate IPTV subscribers had been fined across 80 Italian provinces. Following this action, rightsholders\u00a0collected<\/a>\u00a0additional damages settlements of\u00a0up to \u20ac1,000\u00a0<\/a>from a number of the same people.<\/p>\n France has followed a different path, but the Arras prosecutions suggest the gap may be narrowing. In its official communiqu\u00e9, the LFP made clear the intent behind the action, while warning that more actions are underway.<\/p>\n \u201cThe LFP and LFP Media welcome this strong message to users of piracy services, who mistakenly believe they can act with impunity when in fact they are knowingly contributing to a mafia-like ecosystem that seriously harms the entire sports sector,\u201d the organization writes.<\/p>\n \u201cMany criminal actions targeting resellers of IPTV subscriptions are underway, and their customers may, as such, be questioned and prosecuted,\u201d the league added (TF translated).<\/p>\n While LFP hopes that the prosecutions and the associated fines against 19 IPTV subscribers will send a deterrent message, there is still a long way to go.<\/p>\n At a sports piracy conference held at Roland-Garros on March 23, LFP Media\u2019s Douglas Lowenstein presented survey data showing that around two million people in France watched\u00a0Ligue 1 via pirate services<\/a>\u00a0this season, making it the most pirated competition in the country.<\/p>\n Prosecuting millions of people isn\u2019t very practical, which is why rightsholders are also continuing to push for expanded site-blocking powers.<\/p>\n Arcom<\/a>, France\u2019s broadcasting regulator, has blocked more than 12,600 domain names since 2022, but rightsholders argue that real-time automated blocking is needed to keep pace with live match piracy. This is particularly important with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in mind.<\/p>\n The French football league is pushing for Article 10 of a pending sports law, which would allow automated blocking without manual approval. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has indicated the legislation could move before June, ahead of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n If LFP\u2019s warnings are correct, we may also see more prosecutions of IPTV pirates in the near future. In any case, the two resellers in the Arras case will have made their appearance in court by then, which is scheduled for April 7.<\/p>\n Source: \u00a0Mafia-like Ecosystem<\/h2>\n
Millions of LFP Pirates Remain<\/h2>\n
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