Very difficult to detect and condemn, IPTV and streaming continue to panic rights holders, despite the efforts of the authorities to dismantle streaming networks.
Are streaming and IPTV becoming the easiest ways to watch a football match? For broadcasters, the threat is growing.
On the morning of November 15, the main French broadcasters addressed the issue of piracy, which Canal+ describes as “its first competitor”. 5.1% of the French population would be in possession of an IPTV box (even though it is not even compulsory to access it). All this would represent a shortfall of 500 million euros for the channels which own sports rights, which they nevertheless purchase for several million euros.
In an article published on November 16 and relayed by 01net on November 28, The Media Leader, a site specializing in media information, advertising and communication, recounts the discussions that took place at the ACCES Annual Meetings , in which professionals from the sector meet.
Hacking has never been easier
“On match nights, you just have to go to Google to see how easy it is to access this illegal content”sums up Philippe Bailly, the founder of NPA Conseil, very well, while social networks are also a simple way to find streams which generally “hold” during the entire meeting.
Unlike P2P (peer-to-peer/torrent) piracy, streaming and IPTV are not easily detectable by the authorities, which makes the fight even more complicated.
In total, the world of sport would lose a billion euros per year due to piracy, while the world of television alone would lose 500 million euros. The channels have joined forces to find solutions, since they now consider that their growth can only happen through a return of people who pirate.
Even more worrying, piracy is on the rise. The article of The Media Leader talks about an increase of 30% between 2021 and 2022, but it is based on figures from the European Union. An Internet user would consult an illegal stream on average 0.55 times per month, compared to 0.42 times before. It may not seem like much, but we can assume that more and more people are being tempted.
The authorities are closing sites, but it won’t be enough
What to do to fight against piracy? The channels are banking on the authorities to move faster and close sites that bring in audiences. 835 sites were closed between January and September 2022, which is ultimately quite a few given the extent of piracy (especially when we know that several illegal streams are circulating just on Twitter or popular platforms). IPTV is even harder to take down, since it’s not about sites, strictly speaking. Fortunately, shutting down the most popular sites would still have an impact on piracy.
Founded by the main French broadcasters, the Association for the Protection of Sports Programs (APPS) wishes to have the offense of pirating a sports broadcast included in the law, since there is nothing illegal when consulting streaming or IPTV today. Consumers cannot really be worried, which reinforces the feeling of impunity. The Association dreams of being able to cut off a stream in 5 minutes like in the United Kingdom, to make pirates lose patience and force them to pay. Today, being able to finish your match normally does not encourage the legal method.
Another problem accentuated by YouTube advertisements and partnerships: the explosion of VPNs. As many content creators point out, some countries broadcast football matches, including the Champions League, for free. Connecting to a VPN allows you to access it from France and, again, is not regulated… In this context, it is not surprising to see the Professional Football League not succeed in finding broadcasters for the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
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