Following the complaints of the beneficiaries, justice leads a merciless fight against the illegal IPTV suppliers. The government has decided to tighten the tone, especially against the hacking of Ligue 1, by reclassifying the practice as an offense.
Digital piracy has never been so well worn, especially when it comes to live sport! In France, sporting events – football in mind – alone represent 34 % of illegal access, placing them among the most sought -after illegal content. It is not surprising in view of the moroning of the sports offer on television: to follow your favorite league or club, you often have to combine subscriptions to Canal+, BeIN Sports, Amazon Prime, RMC Sport, etc. Result ? The bill climbs quickly. So, inevitably, the IPTV seduces!
Available in the form of application or box to plug on TV, this streaming system brings together hundreds of paid channels, as well as thousands of films and series … All for a hundred euros per year, or even less! An unbeatable value for money, which clearly shades the official offers, always more expensive.
Faced with the abyssal shortfall of the beneficiaries – estimated at one billion euros per year for the sport sector and 500 million euros for television channels -, the latter have joined the providers of internet access and the authorities. At first, they preferred to focus on the heads of networks, broadcasters and the streaming of sporting events. As the results are not satisfactory, the government has decided to tighten the tone against the hacking of Ligue 1!
IPTV illegal: a trend well rooted in habits
In 2024, the DAZN platform, the “Netflix of Sport”, recovered the majority of the events of the event. However, at its beginnings, the prices charged were far from being given! It was initially necessary to count 19, € 99 per month (without commitment) to access one match per day or € 39.99 per month (without commitment) to take advantage of all meetings (see our article)! Result: football fans refused to subscribe and turned to IPTV and other illegal solutions – 37 % of people who watched Ligue 1 this season watched the matches through an illegal method!
Faced with the ineffectiveness of the usual blocking measures, and while it has been arrested for months by the diffusers and by the LFP, the government has decided to take matters into their own hands. At the microphone of RMC, the Minister of Sports Marie Barsacq detailed a three -point plan of the public authorities to combat the hacking of Ligue 1 matches.
IPTV illegal: government plan to combat hacking
Piracy will be qualified as an offense, which will allow “sanction, not those who benefit from it and the end user, but the one who organizes mechanics, the supplier“, Explains the Minister. Customers should therefore be spared, unlike the trend that takes shape in Europe. For this, the Minister intends to bring reinforcements to Arch, the audiovisual and digital communication regulatory authority, which alone struggles to fight the offenders. That is why “You have to be able to give authorizations to trusted third parties who will go do this work. We have three actors who work when in England, there are thirty per weekend “she continues. The government could notably call on private companies for this.
Last point: “”[il faut] Being able to give the list of those who are in violation very quickly so that the competent authorities can really sanction and go fast “. This is why he intends to have the bill Senators Michel Savin and Laurent Lafon. By sanctioning the illegal suppliers of images of French football, the government hopes to attack directly at the root of the problem. Remains that as long as The prices will be exorbitant, people will refuse to pay and will seek an alternative solution, even if it is illegal.