Around the world, fans tuned in to watch their favourite teams compete in the FIFA World Cup, but for millions more, the experience was disrupted by illegal streaming sites. A major crackdown on these unauthorised broadcasts has seen nearly 3,000 websites either blocked or seized globally, with over 1,000 domains taken down in the US alone.
The takedown operation, carried out under investigations known as "Operation Offsides" and "Operation Red Card", involved enforcement agencies from across America and South America. According to Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC), illegal streaming constitutes a significant threat to intellectual property rights and can fuel criminal organisations.
The actions were coordinated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and involved international partners, including those in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The Colombian Attorney General's Office confirmed that several arrests had been made in connection with these operations, including four members of a 'cybercriminal group' known as Los Ciberinfiltrados.
In Colombia, police also conducted nationwide search-and-seizure operations targeting counterfeit sports clothing, leading to the arrest and conviction of 11 individuals for manufacturing and distributing fake merchandise. The issue of illegal sports streaming is a major concern for broadcasters, who estimate it costs them billions of pounds annually.
The World Cup's global reach makes it an attractive target for piracy networks, with analysts describing the activity as occurring on an "industrial scale". The rising cost of broadcasting rights has led to higher subscription prices, prompting some fans to seek out illegal streams. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) highlighted that major live events like the World Cup are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by these groups.