LaLiga, in the alliance to demand that the EU take measures against piracy

Entities such as Premier League, Serie A, European Leagues, Bundesliga, Warner Bros., DAZN, BeIN, Canal+, Sky, The Walt Disney Company or LaLiga They are among the 36 large companies and organizations in the sports and audiovisual ecosystem that have joined together to demand more effective measures against piracy from the European Union.

The letter addressed to Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and the Commissioner for Youth, Culture and Sports, urges the organization on the need to have legislative, binding measures with tangible results. The call to action by the signatories highlights that the fight against audiovisual fraud requires collaboration and legislative protection, especially as voluntary measures and private enforcement are no longer sufficient and legal remedies have been overwhelmed by the speed and sophistication of pirate networks and services.

Thus, in relation to the Recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events, published by the European Commission in 2023, the signatories urge the entry of legislative measures that force intermediaries that host illegal content to eliminate pirated broadcasts in a maximum of 30 minutes and always before the end of the match, which is a minimum requirement, since a trend towards immediate elimination is pursued, that is de facto applied by some intermediaries committed to the fight against piracy. In addition, it seeks to ensure live dynamic blocking in all member states and that technological intermediaries, including hosts, VPN, CDN y App Stores, have and implement control policies over their users (KYBC).

The 36 signatories also highlight the need to comprehensively apply the DSA, or Digital Services Law, and that national coordinators of digital services grant private organizations such as the signatories the status of “trusted whistleblower” when they request it. "As business leaders, employers' associations and unions, we are committed to promoting fair competition, innovation and responsibility. But these principles cannot prosper without basic protection of the content produced and distributed by our industries. In order to continue to contribute to the European economy in an ambitious way, rights holders must not be left alone in the face of the growing threat of live piracy," the letter details.

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, has detailed that "piracy is the biggest threat to sport right now, against which the necessary measures are not being taken. There is a lot of talk about improvements and change, but there is no real and manifest will to implement it, something that needs to change." In Spain, losses are estimated between 600 and 700 million euros per year only for the clubs in the football competition.