An illegal sports streaming site ordered to pay 31.6 million euros to Mediapro

The sports streaming site Roja Directa was ordered to pay 31.6 million euros to Mediapro for illegally broadcasting La Liga matches during the 2014/2015 season, the Sino-Spanish audiovisual group, then holder of the television rights. The company Puerto 80, manager of the Roja Directa site, and its administrator Igor Seoane must compensate Mediapro for “the damage caused by the broadcast of La Liga matches, the intellectual property rights of which belonged to the audiovisual group during the 2014/2015 season”assures a press release from the audiovisual group. This amount was set by the La Coruña commercial court, based on a prior decision from the Supreme Court rendered in 2022, the group further specifies.

In 2022, the court declared the company Puerto 80 and its administrator responsible for“illegal activities” for having distributed matches of the Spanish championship via the streaming site Roja Directa and having drawn from them “significant economic benefits”indicates Mediapro, which managed to close the site in Spain after years of legal battle. Roja Directa, access to which was free, “generated millions in revenue through advertising and collecting commissions to divert its flow to sports betting sites”assure Mediapro. “They are falling! And others will fall, and they will be big fish. Google, Cloudfare, among others… also benefit from this theft”reacted the president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, on X. La Liga and Mediapro have simultaneously initiated criminal proceedings against Puerto 80 and Mr. Seoane.