EU Report Found Limited Impact in Sports Piracy Fight
A new European Commission assessment highlights gaps in the effectiveness of 2023 anti-piracy recommendations.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Cultural
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The European Commission published an assessment concluding that its 2023 Recommendation has struggled to significantly reduce overall sports piracy volumes across the European Union. While voluntary cooperation between rightsholders and platforms has increased, the impact of these measures remains constrained by inconsistent legal enforcement.
Why it matters
The report underscores the difficulty of harmonizing digital copyright enforcement across different nations, where injunction implementation varies widely. It highlights a persistent gap between voluntary industry efforts and the technical response times required to effectively combat live streaming piracy.
Rightsholders reported an increase to 62 voluntary cooperation agreements in 2025, up from 49 in 2024, with 42 of those agreements involving Dedicated Server Providers. Only 55% of infringement notices issued through these agreements resulted in successful access suspension.
The players
European Commission
This is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation and implementing decisions.
EUIPO Observatory
The European Union Intellectual Property Office Observatory is an entity focused on the protection of intellectual property rights and the enforcement of anti-piracy measures.
The details
The EUIPO Observatory monitored progress through metrics concerning notice processing and blocking injunctions, revealing that online platforms are generally more responsive than Content Delivery Networks. The assessment indicates that while cooperation is growing, the fragmented nature of injunction implementation across EU Member States limits the effectiveness of regional anti-piracy strategies.
Timeline
The European Commission issued its initial recommendation in May 2023.
Rightsholders established 49 voluntary cooperation agreements during 2024.
The number of cooperation agreements rose to 62 throughout 2025.
The European Commission published the final assessment report in September 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The European Commission's evaluation marks a shift toward tighter regulatory oversight, as it plans to leverage the Digital Services Act to address intermediary compliance. This approach signals a move away from purely voluntary industry cooperation toward more structured, mandatory enforcement measures across the bloc.
While the report focuses on technical enforcement, viewers may face increased disruption in their ability to access unauthorized live sports streams as platforms face pressure to improve takedown speeds. The lack of data on legal offer availability leaves it unclear if these measures will lead to more affordable or accessible authorized viewing options for fans.
The takeaway
The struggle to curb live sports piracy highlights that voluntary industry measures currently fail to keep pace with the technical agility of illegal broadcast providers. Consumers seeking reliable access should continue to prioritize licensed broadcasting services to avoid the disruptions caused by ongoing enforcement actions.
What happens next
The European Commission will continue to examine the role of various online intermediaries through the Digital Services Act Board discussions to determine if new measures are necessary for consistent implementation of dynamic injunctions.
Further reading
For more background on digital content regulation, visit the European Union section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Torrentfreak.
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