IPTV: The fight against piracy is a total failure, this study proves it

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Authorities and rights holders are pulling out all the stops against IPTV and pirate services. In this regard, Italy intends to set an example with its brand new system launched in 2023. However, recently published figures do not give much cause for optimism. Let's take stock.

Last year, our transalpine neighbors deployed an anti-piracy shield, called Piracy Shield. The Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM), the equivalent of Arcom in France, manages this system, which mobilizes legal and technical resources to block pirate streams much more quickly than in the past. It is also responsible for prosecuting criminals.

The managers of this service are full of praise for its success. In particular, it is said to have helped reduce the audience of pirate sites. But do broadcasters really benefit from it??

Disappointing figures

Recently, AGCOM contacted Brian Turnbow of CDLAN, a technology company that operates, among other things, cloud and hosting solutions. The latter subsequently took an interest in the concrete effects of the Piracy Shield.

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He notably tried to see if this device had improved the audience of DAZN, the main broadcaster of Serie A. His verdict is clear:

The number of users after the anti-piracy shield in 2024 is the same as in 2023… no gain. The number of hours watched in 2024 is the same as in 2023, again, no gain. 2024 as a whole is lower than 2022, when there was no anti-piracy shield.

The expert also notes: “So, after 12 months, the data shows that ISPs have incurred costs to implement the service, no users or hours gained for DAZN, and higher prices (the subscription went from 41 to 45 euros) for end users.”.

To qualify these findings a little, and as our colleagues at TorrentFreak rightly point out, we can retort that the number of subscribers could have decreased if anti-piracy measures had not been put in place.

In any case, these indirect ways of viewing sports competitions are also a hit in France. A few months ago, Benjamin Morel, CEO of LFP Media, the commercial subsidiary of the LFP, cited an explosive Ipsos survey on the subject. It turns out that 37% of people who have followed the championship since the start of the season have done so illegally.

What do you think of the strategies currently being implemented in France and the rest of the world to combat these illegal broadcasts ? Tell us in the comments.

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