Spain has one of the highest rates of sports piracy in Europe, according to a study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The piracy of audiovisual sports content spares no one. Illegal streaming has increased in most countries, although a downward trend has been observed in recent months, according to a recent study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). in question.
IPTV piracy nevertheless remains a very important challenge to face for all rights holders and the countries concerned, notably France, “with a growing user base which accesses pirated sports and live television content”, notes EUIPO . It is also for Spanish Football, which is also striving to fight against this scourge.
“Piracy of sporting events in Europe increased by 36.5% between 2021 and 2023, La Liga said in a statement on Friday. In the case of Spain, the average access per user to pirated sporting content by month remains 25% higher than the EU average.”
The Spanish Professional Football League notes that Spain records one of the highest rates of sports piracy in Europe, “with one in three Spaniards consuming pirated content”, according to specialist consultancy YouGov in May 2024, and with “59% of Spaniards specifically consuming pirated content at least once a month,” according to Ampere data in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, criticized platforms and big companies that “profit” from this data: “There is still a lot of protection from big companies like Google, X or Cloudflare.”
55% of viewers would have watched OM-PSG illegally
In France, piracy is declining, according to an Arcom study carried out between the end of October and the beginning of November, except for sports content. The Regulatory Authority has estimated the amount of shortfall for the sports sector at 290 million euros.
In 2023, the consumption of audiovisual and sports content from illegal streams cost the French economy 1.5 billion euros, reports the Regulatory Authority. They also represent a shortfall of 420 million per year for the State in social and tax revenue.
According to the survey carried out by Arcom, the last classic between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain was followed by 55% of viewers thanks to connected IPTV boxes.
Highly criticized for its pricing policy upon its arrival on the market, DAZN, the main broadcaster of Ligue 1, is accused of having fueled piracy. “When we have exorbitant prices, we are sure to fuel piracy,” said the president of Arcom last month, during his hearing by the Senate Culture Committee.
Continuing an aggressive promotional policy carried out at the start of the school year, DAZN offered a new discount on its main subscription as part of Black Friday, offering an offer of 14.99 euros (with 12-month commitment), instead of 29.99 euros, the initial price. Several thousand illegal services and IPTV boxes have been blocked since the start of the year.
