In the digital era, the way people watch television has changed radically. Whereas viewers once connected to cable or satellite operators, today they access television channels and video content over the internet. Alongside this shift, illegal TV streaming has also grown rapidly - the distribution of television channels and other content without the permission of copyright holders.

At first glance, this may seem to users like nothing more than a "cheaper alternative," but in reality, it affects the entire ecosystem - broadcasters, cable and internet operators, sports leagues, content creators, and even the national economy.

How Does Illegal TV Streaming Work?
Such services offer users hundreds or thousands of television channels, live sports broadcasts, and extensive libraries of films and series for a small fee, often the equivalent of €5-10 per month.

Visually, these platforms often closely resemble legitimate services, which means users do not always realize that they are using an illegal service. Today, such services are mainly distributed through dedicated applications, Android TV boxes, Smart TV applications, and private Telegram groups.

In Europe, this has already become a billion-euro illegal market. According to the latest major study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), 17.1 million people used illegal TV streaming services, causing €3.21 billion in losses to the legal industry.

The study also identified another important trend: the most active users are in the 16-24 age group, indicating that the problem is spreading particularly rapidly among younger people.

Sport Is the Biggest Target of Illegal TV Streaming
The reason is simple. Exclusive broadcasting rights for sports are sold for billions of euros. For example, broadcasting rights for the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and other major tournaments reach record prices in Europe, prompting some consumers to seek cheaper illegal alternatives. According to the EUIPO study, 12% of Europe's population accesses sports content through illegal sources. As a result, the content that suffers the greatest losses is precisely the content that requires the largest investments to produce and broadcast.

With the support of Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, and Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, Italian law enforcement authorities uncovered an international network serving more than 22 million users and distributing more than 2,500 television channels, generating approximately €3 billion in illegal revenue annually.
The investigation showed that the network used servers located in several countries and received payments through various online payment systems and cryptocurrencies. The case demonstrates that illegal TV streaming is no longer simply a problem involving a few websites; it has evolved into an international organized business.

Italy took another important step in 2024 by creating a real-time national blocking system - Piracy Shield - specifically designed to combat the illegal distribution of sports broadcasts. The system was introduced by the country's communications regulator, AGCOM (Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni), on the basis of legislation and is now considered one of the strictest mechanisms of its kind in Europe.

How Does Piracy Shield Work?
The main principle behind Piracy Shield is rapid response.
When a television channel or sports rights holder discovers that a match or another live broadcast is being illegally distributed, it submits the information to a dedicated platform. Internet service providers (ISPs) must then block the specified IP addresses and domains within approximately 30 minutes. The aim is to stop the illegal broadcast before it reaches viewers.

This obligation applies to all parties involved in the system: internet service providers, hosting companies, content rights holders, and AGCOM, which coordinates the process.

If a provider fails to comply with a request within the required timeframe, it may face sanctions.

According to AGCOM data, since the launch of Piracy Shield, thousands of domains and IP addresses have been blocked, particularly during illegal broadcasts of Serie A football matches, Champions League games, and other sporting events. Italy considers the system an important tool for protecting sports broadcasting rights.
The biggest criticism of Piracy Shield concerns overblocking.

In 2024, several cases attracted significant attention when some legitimate web services hosted on Cloudflare's infrastructure temporarily became inaccessible because the blocked IP addresses were simultaneously serving multiple websites. For this reason, digital rights organizations called for greater transparency and independent oversight.

Other European Union countries are now studying Italy's experience. The European Commission's 2025 monitoring report notes that rapid-response mechanisms against the illegal distribution of sports broadcasts are increasingly considered an important tool, while emphasizing that they must be used in a way that prevents legitimate online services from being accidentally affected.

The Impact on the Legal Television Market
Illegal TV streaming is not merely a copyright infringement issue; it directly harms the companies that make the largest investments in content creation and broadcasting.
Legal operators are affected because they incur significant costs to obtain television channel licenses, pay copyright and content rights fees, maintain network infrastructure, provide technical services, and pay taxes. Illegal services have virtually none of these costs, allowing them to offer consumers much lower prices.

Against this backdrop, illegal television services distributed through social media and foreign websites create an uneven competitive environment in local markets.
The state also suffers significant economic losses. While legal companies pay taxes, create jobs, and invest in infrastructure, illegal networks operate within the shadow economy, resulting in lost tax revenue for governments.

Risks for Consumers
Illegal consumption of content also poses direct risks to users.
Many users believe that the only risk is that the service may be shut down, but the actual threats are much broader.
According to security research, illegal streaming platforms often use aggressive advertising, distribute malware, track user data, and employ fraudulent redirects. There is also a significant risk of banking and financial data being stolen. The risk is particularly high when such services operate on unknown Android devices or through unsecured applications.

International Measures to Combat Illegal Streaming
As a result of joint international operations involving Europol and Eurojust, several key recommendations have emerged for addressing the problem. These include:
Simultaneous shutdown of servers and domains;
Blocking payment systems;
Real-time protection mechanisms for live sports broadcasts;
Public awareness campaigns.
It is clear that illegal TV streaming is no longer simply a copyright infringement issue. European data show that it has become a billion-euro shadow economy that reduces the revenues of operators and broadcasters, undermines the financing of sports and the creative industries, and exposes consumers to additional cybersecurity risks.

Sources:
Broadband TV News⁠
European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)⁠
AGCOM⁠
European Commission⁠
AAPA⁠
Europol⁠