Belgium Cracks Down on Pirated Sports Broadcasts

A Major Setback for Illegal Streaming in Belgium

DAZN and 12th Player, two of the prominent broadcasters of sports events in Belgium, have successfully taken legal action against unauthorized broadcasts, resulting in a landmark court decision. The Brussels Enterprise Court has mandated a sweeping ban on over half of the IPTV services that were distributing pirated sports content. Consequently, hundreds of illicit streaming websites have been rendered inaccessible.

Internet Service Providers and DNS Platforms Under Scrutiny

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are now required to block access to these unauthorized platforms immediately, with non-compliance attracting potential fines of up to €100,000 per day. In a groundbreaking move, DNS platforms like Cloudflare, Google, and Cisco are also instructed to disable access to these pirated sites. Changing DNS settings will no longer provide a workaround for users attempting to access illegal streams.

Dynamic Blocking Measures

In a bid to thwart persistent piracy tactics, the court has implemented dynamic blocking measures. These measures ensure that “mirror” sites, which are replicas of the original websites with different URLs, are promptly blocked as soon as they are detected. Last weekend, more than 100 illicit sports broadcasts and five major IPTV platforms faced the clampdown as the Belgian Pro League’s Play-Off phase commenced.

Impact on Belgian Youth

Statistics reveal a concerning trend among Belgian youth, with one-third of the population aged 16-24 reportedly using pirated sites and IPTV services to watch popular sports events such as the Belgian League, Premier League, MMA, and boxing. This piracy results in an estimated annual revenue loss of £180 million. DAZN has hailed the court’s decision as ‘a real victory in the fight against content piracy’.