The sports streaming DAZN is calling on Italy to take stronger action against online TV piracy. The use of illegally streamed content has been on the rise in the country over the past five years, costing the industry an estimated 290 million euros ($317 million) annually.
According to a survey conducted by FAPAV, Italy's audiovisual anti-piracy federation, illegal access to live sports streaming events increased by 26% last year compared to 2020.
Stefano Azzi, DAZN's boss in Italy, is urging parliament to expedite the approval of a bill that would allow authorities to block illegal platforms within just 30 minutes of receiving complaints.
Currently holding exclusive rights for live Serie A matches, DAZN is vying for domestic broadcasting licenses for Italian soccer league matches from 2024-2029.
Earlier this month, initial bids received from DAZN and competitors Comcast's Sky and MediaForEurope fell short of Serie A's target revenue goal of raising €1.2 billion per season. As a result, private talks are underway between Serie A and potential broadcasters with hopes for improved offers.
These domestic broadcasting licenses are crucial sources of revenue for Serie A clubs like Napoli (the current champions), Juventus AC Milan, and Inter Milan.
In fact, the sale of TV rights brought in around €930 million per season during the three-year cycle ending in June 2024. Securing most of these rights came at an annual cost of €840 million paid out by DAZN.
However, this amount pales when you compare it with what England’s Premier League collects under its existing TV deals domestically according to UEFA data.
“Rights holders” like sporting bodies constantly seek ways they can stop these forms of unauthorized access. They believe doing so will protect their business model which could be undermined otherwise. (The conversion rate used here was $1 = €0.9154)
DAZN has been super active on their front to tackle piracy
It remains to be seen what action Italy will take against TV piracy. However, DAZN is making a strong case for stricter rules and faster response times in order to combat this growing issue.
The sports industry as a whole continues to grapple with the challenge of illegal streaming and unauthorized access, which threatens their revenue streams. By cracking down on piracy, they hope to protect their business models and ensure that rights holders receive fair compensation for their content.
The battle against TV piracy is an ongoing one, with stakeholders constantly seeking new ways to tackle the problem head-on. As technology advances and more people turn.
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