DAZN, the new broadcaster for the French football championship, and the Ligue Professionnelle de Football (LFP) are grappling with the persistent issues of piracy through Telegram and various IPTV services, some of which are based in Morocco. These illicit streaming channels are significantly contributing to the surge in Ligue 1 piracy.
Despite DAZN’s goal of attracting 1.5 million “legal” subscribers, the piracy issue soared on the opening day of Ligue 1. According to Le Parisien, the number of viewers who accessed the kickoff of the 2024-2025 season through illicit means—via Telegram, IPTV, or VPN—reached one million. DAZN and the LFP are facing significant challenges in eradicating this phenomenon.
Telegram Challenges: Blocking Telegram channels is proving difficult. “We have a discussion group with Telegram. We notify them of the illegal channels we have identified on their platform. Then, it’s up to Telegram’s moderators to shut down these streaming channels,” explains a cybersecurity firm collaborating with several entities in the sports world. However, this collaboration is falling short. “The problem is that when Telegram first alerts a pirate, they are aware they’ve been spotted. They have time to create a new streaming link, and we have to start from scratch. It’s endless,” warns Hervé Lemaire, head of LeakID (Forward Group), a company specializing in protecting rights holders like the Premier League. Telegram is not very cooperative, he adds. “We are forced to use this discussion channel. We have no direct contact with moderators or even employees at Telegram. Until we have close cooperation with them, the problem won’t be solved.”
IPTV Challenges: Tackling IPTV services is also a complex task. “IPTV services take longer to block because we have to locate the originating server, which is usually abroad,” notes the head of MyMedia Agency, a cybersecurity firm. Mohammed Boumediane, CEO of Ziwit, a leader in the cybersecurity market, shares this view: “As long as we don’t address the problem at the source by shutting down servers in Morocco or the Middle East, IPTV vendors will continue to operate.” Blocking an IPTV service involves an initial request to a judge followed by a permanent block by the Arcom (French Authority for the Regulation of Audiovisual and Digital Communication). “Since this procedure was implemented in November 2022, 513 IPTV services have been blocked, and sports piracy has decreased by 27%,” reports Arcom. Since August 2, the Paris Judicial Court has ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to IPTV services that broadcast Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches without authorization. This injunction has proven effective, allowing for “blocking measures to be implemented from the first day. Previously, such measures could not be put into effect before the 7th matchday of the season,” the LFP proudly noted.
VPN: The New Threat However, a new challenge is emerging with VPNs. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) allow users to appear as though they are in another country, making it possible to access Ligue 1, which has broadcasting rights acquired by Brazilian channel Cazé TV for the 2024-2027 period, via YouTube from France. Many French viewers enjoyed this over the past weekend. “Using a VPN to access content not available in your country is perfectly illegal!” insists Hervé Lemaire, head of LeakID. Yet, combating this illegal practice is nearly impossible as YouTube offers no options for channel administrators to detect or block VPN users. “By using a VPN, the French fan connects via a Brazilian IP address to access this YouTube channel. It is therefore very difficult to distinguish them from a Brazilian viewer,” explains Lemaire. Fighting this method will be very challenging. The LFP and DAZN have a tough road ahead. DAZN and the French Football League Struggle Against Piracy
DAZN, the new broadcaster for the French football championship, and the Ligue Professionnelle de Football (LFP) are grappling with the persistent issues of piracy through Telegram and various IPTV services, some of which are based in Morocco. These illicit streaming channels are significantly contributing to the surge in Ligue 1 piracy.
Despite DAZN’s goal of attracting 1.5 million “legal” subscribers, the piracy issue soared on the opening day of Ligue 1. According to Le Parisien, the number of viewers who accessed the kickoff of the 2024-2025 season through illicit means—via Telegram, IPTV, or VPN—reached one million. DAZN and the LFP are facing significant challenges in eradicating this phenomenon.
Telegram Challenges: Blocking Telegram channels is proving difficult. “We have a discussion group with Telegram. We notify them of the illegal channels we have identified on their platform. Then, it’s up to Telegram’s moderators to shut down these streaming channels,” explains a cybersecurity firm collaborating with several entities in the sports world. However, this collaboration is falling short. “The problem is that when Telegram first alerts a pirate, they are aware they’ve been spotted. They have time to create a new streaming link, and we have to start from scratch. It’s endless,” warns Hervé Lemaire, head of LeakID (Forward Group), a company specializing in protecting rights holders like the Premier League. Telegram is not very cooperative, he adds. “We are forced to use this discussion channel. We have no direct contact with moderators or even employees at Telegram. Until we have close cooperation with them, the problem won’t be solved.”
IPTV Challenges: Tackling IPTV services is also a complex task. “IPTV services take longer to block because we have to locate the originating server, which is usually abroad,” notes the head of MyMedia Agency, a cybersecurity firm. Mohammed Boumediane, CEO of Ziwit, a leader in the cybersecurity market, shares this view: “As long as we don’t address the problem at the source by shutting down servers in Morocco or the Middle East, IPTV vendors will continue to operate.” Blocking an IPTV service involves an initial request to a judge followed by a permanent block by the Arcom (French Authority for the Regulation of Audiovisual and Digital Communication). “Since this procedure was implemented in November 2022, 513 IPTV services have been blocked, and sports piracy has decreased by 27%,” reports Arcom. Since August 2, the Paris Judicial Court has ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to IPTV services that broadcast Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches without authorization. This injunction has proven effective, allowing for “blocking measures to be implemented from the first day. Previously, such measures could not be put into effect before the 7th matchday of the season,” the LFP proudly noted.
VPN: The New Threat However, a new challenge is emerging with VPNs. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) allow users to appear as though they are in another country, making it possible to access Ligue 1, which has broadcasting rights acquired by Brazilian channel Cazé TV for the 2024-2027 period, via YouTube from France. Many French viewers enjoyed this over the past weekend. “Using a VPN to access content not available in your country is perfectly illegal!” insists Hervé Lemaire, head of LeakID. Yet, combating this illegal practice is nearly impossible as YouTube offers no options for channel administrators to detect or block VPN users. “By using a VPN, the French fan connects via a Brazilian IP address to access this YouTube channel. It is therefore very difficult to distinguish them from a Brazilian viewer,” explains Lemaire. Fighting this method will be very challenging. The LFP and DAZN have a tough road ahead.
Leave a Reply