A recent European study has unveiled a startling revelation in Belgium, where almost half a million users are engaging in illegal Internet Protocol television (IPTV) activities.
These users are taking advantage of pirated signals, gaining access to thousands of TV channels, movies, and series on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms at a fraction of the cost.
The unchecked proliferation of this illicit system has become a growing concern for companies in the audiovisual sector, prompting them to call on public authorities to enforce the law and curb the rising tide of IPTV theft.
The survey conducted by the European Alliance against Audiovisual Piracy (APAA) has highlighted a disturbing trend: while the overall IPTV user rate in Belgium stands at 5.4% (as of 2021), it skyrockets to a staggering 15% among the 16-24 age group. This surge in popularity among the youth is causing significant disruptions for companies like Eleven/DAZN, as evidenced by a notable decline in their subscriber numbers.
Sports channels, in particular, are taking a hit, as IPTV provides an affordable alternative for sports fans to access major European football championships. Users report capturing events from Italy, Spain, the UK, Germany, France, and Belgium at a fraction of the cost compared to legitimate paid packages.
For movie enthusiasts, IPTV offers an enticing alternative to traditional subscriptions. For around €50, IPTV can offer users an infinite selection of films and series, including the latest releases. Many users turn to "installers," acting as intermediaries between subscribers and pirates. These installers purchase subscriptions in bulk from fraudulent websites and resell them at a profit.
The audacity of these scammers is reflected in their marketing strategies, with enticing offers claiming substantial customer satisfaction. However, these activities come at the expense of the entire production chain of audiovisual content, depriving everyone from journalists and technicians to actors and musicians of their rightful earnings.
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As the scale of IPTV piracy reaches astronomical levels, there is a growing urgency to address the issue. The European Commission has called on Member States to take action, advocating for dynamic IP address blocking to hinder illegal activities.
Internet service providers, such as Proximus, are already involved in blocking IP addresses at the request of the judiciary. However, the Commission is pushing for a more dynamic system to track fraudulent signals across various IP addresses.
Law enforcement is also targeting installers, aiming to dismantle networks involved in large-scale IPTV piracy operations. While investigations into these activities are challenging and time-consuming, recent successes, such as the dismantling of an 18,000-subscriber network in Spain last November, underscore the importance of these efforts.
As authorities step up their actions, the hope is to make the IPTV piracy system increasingly insecure, resulting in more disruptions for subscribers.
