Piracy Detection in Sports and Other Live Events Hits Record Levels Thanks to Greater Investment in Resources and Technology

A new report by Grant Thornton, produced in collaboration with the Live Content Coalition, confirms that illegal broadcasting of sports and other live events remains one of the most pressing threats to rights holders, including LALIGA. Two years after the European Commission issued its Recommendation to combat this phenomenon, the data not only shows that the problem persists, but also that there is growing awareness among operators of its impact—leading to improved identification systems and a significant increase in the resources allocated to fight piracy.

In 2024, at least 10.8 million takedown notices were sent to digital intermediaries (DSPs, online platforms, and others) for unauthorized live broadcasts. In the first half of 2025 alone, this figure surged to 26.2 million over an 18-month period—representing a 142% increase in just six months. However, 89% of these notices did not result in the suspension of illegal streams, according to the report.

Gaps in Effectiveness and Response Times

While the data confirms the massive scale of live event piracy and the rising number of notifications sent to intermediaries, the report also highlights a decline in the effectiveness of responses. Only 11% of the notices resulted in suspensions during the 18-month period. That figure stood at 19% in the second half of 2024 but dropped to just 5% in the first half of 2025.

The report also addresses delays in response time from intermediaries. Only 6% of violations were processed within 30 minutes of being reported, while 21% took over two hours.

Current Challenges with Intermediaries

Between January 2024 and June 2025, Dedicated Server Providers (DSPs) received 12 million takedown notices per year—accounting for 46% of the total. These providers, who supply and manage the physical servers and network infrastructure used by many illegal platforms, have become key players in the content delivery chain. Online platforms accounted for 5% of the notices, while the remaining 49% targeted “Other Online Infrastructure Providers,” such as CDNs and reverse proxy services.

Most notices were directed at DSPs and other hosting providers, with very low enforcement rates: 91% and 97% of cases respectively did not result in suspensions. In contrast, online platforms performed better, with a 97% suspension rate, although there remains a serious problem with repeat offenders—90% of illegal streams reappeared within 24 hours.

In 2025, notices directed at hosting providers such as Cloudflare also increased. These services are sometimes used to mask the servers hosting pirated content, complicating enforcement efforts.

The Need for a Coordinated Response

The report also notes that cooperation agreements remain limited, accounting for just 5% of all takedown notices issued during 2024 and the first half of 2025.

This season, LALIGA launched a new awareness campaign under the slogan “You get pirated football. They get you.” The campaign aims to educate fans about the risks of using unofficial streams—not just the harm it causes to the sport, but also the personal risks users face, such as malware, data theft, and financial fraud.

In Spain, LALIGA recorded a 60% drop in piracy during the recently concluded 2024/25 season. With the European Commission’s evaluation of its Recommendation scheduled for November 2025, LALIGA stresses the need for a coordinated response that combines technology, public awareness, institutional cooperation and legal action to protect the value of sport and other live events, safeguard fans and users, and ensure the sustainability of these events against illegal broadcasting.

Access the Grant Thornton report here