Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

ILLEGAL LIVE SPORTS STREAMING FLOURISHING DESPITE INDUSTRY CRACKDOWNS

Ahead of next month’s Super Bowl LX, which NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service hopes will be its largest-ever live viewership (along with the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy), there is growing concern about the rise in streaming sites offering illegal access to live sports.

A 2025 study found that 69% of sports fans in the United States and Europe have turned to illegal streams as the subscription cost of their platforms rise. In the United Kingdom, approximately 4.7 million adults (9%) confessed to using illegal streams for sports.

Worse still, 58% of sports fans in the United Kingdom now consider illegal streaming to be “socially acceptable,” according to new data from Nielsen — viewing it as a response to an overpriced and complicated legal market to access their favorite teams.

Illegal sites in the United Kingdom, which showcase soccer, boxing, tennis, cricket, as well as movies and TV shows, reportedly attracted 1.6 billion views in the first half of 2025. Analysts contend the trend could see sports leagues worldwide lose upwards of $28 billion annually in revenue due to piracy.

In addition to revenue loss, illegal live streams pose a risk to the end user. A study by OpenText Security Solutions found that nearly every illegal streaming service exposed users to malicious or misleading content, including malware, spyware, phishing, junk security software, explicit content, fake operating systems and related online scams.

The NFL, NBA and UFC have urged the U.S. government to update the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). They argue that live sports are uniquely vulnerable because their value depreciates instantly after the event ends, requiring faster, “real-time” takedown powers.

In 2023, Peacock and EverPass, a media platform distributing live sports and entertainment content to commercial businesses, created Peacock Sports Pass to discourage individual third party subscribers from using personal subscriptions at commercial businesses.

“Accessing ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ and Peacock sports content in commercial establishments such as bars, restaurants, and other businesses through unauthorized channels and residential subscription services (a Peacock subscription) or other unauthorized third-party platforms is unlawful,”

EverPass wrote in a post.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), whose members includes Amazon, Disney, Netflix, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, last month hailed the shutdown of the pirate site Streameast, calling it a “resounding victory” for the entire live sports ecosystem.

“Piracy isn’t a harmless shortcut as it exposes consumers to real risks and drains resources from India’s creative economy,” Larissa Knapp, EVP and chief content protection officer at the Motion Picture Association, said in a statement. “Our actions make clear that ACE will relentlessly pursue and dismantle illegal operations so audiences and creators can benefit from a secure, sustainable marketplace.”

X, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all say that they remove illegal content streams from their platforms as soon as they are made aware of it.

Source: mediaplaynews.com

THE ILLEGAL STREAMING SERVICE BITPLAY HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN

The pirate service Bitplay, which, among other things, illegally provided access to premium sports television channels, live broadcasts of sports matches and selected series content, has been shut down. The service was shut down following a criminal complaint by the Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) and a subsequent investigation by the Czech Police.

The Association of Commercial Television Stations identified the pirate service Bitplay in mid-2025. Given that the operator did not cease its activities despite warnings from the legitimate copyright holders, the association’s members decided to take legal action against the operator. Together with its supplier, Warezio, which monitors the occurrence of illegally shared television content for television broadcasters, AKTV prepared evidence on the basis of which the law enforcement authorities identified the operator as a natural person.

The Bitplay service, operating on the domains bitplay.my, starstreams.pro, starsites.fun and starlive.click, offered access to premium paid sports channels and broadcasts without the relevant licences from the rights holders. The service was promoted through social networks and other online channels and targeted Czech, Slovak and Polish users.

“Illegal streaming harms broadcast rights holders, sports competition partners, and athletes and sports clubs themselves. Investment in quality content is only possible in an environment where copyright is respected and protected,” said Marek Singer, president of AKTV. “The action against Bitplay is another step in our systematic approach to combating the illegal distribution of our content. We will continue to actively take action against entities that unlawfully offer and monetise protected content.”

In addition to the damage caused by piracy to copyright holders, the use of illegal services also poses a security risk to users. The biggest problem may be the misuse of personal or payment data, but also the unintentional downloading of various malicious software (viruses, malware, spyware, and more).

In addition to actively protecting copyrights, the Association of Commercial Television Stations has long focused on educational activities. As part of these activities, it operates an information website on copyrights, which is available at NormalneLegalne.cz. Here, interested parties will find a directory of legal sources, a glossary explaining terms related to intellectual property protection, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ), and regular news focused on internet piracy.

CLOUDFLARE AND ONLINE PIRACY: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DIGITAL INTERMEDIARIES UNDER SCRUTINY

The Tokyo District Court ruled that Cloudflare, one of the world’s leading Content Delivery Network (CDN) service providers, is liable for the manner in which it provides its services, which facilitates copyright infringement. The dispute concerned the illegal distribution of popular manga titles with a global reach, including the ONE PIECE and Attack on Titan series. The lawsuit was filed by four leading Japanese publishers – Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shueisha and Shogakukan.

The case dealt with the operation of two large pirate websites that illegally made more than 4,000 manga titles available. The sites recorded over 300 million visits per month and used Cloudflare’s CDN services, which enable fast and efficient content distribution while making it difficult to identify the original servers.

The court found that the company’s liability did not lie in the CDN technology itself, but in the manner in which it provided its services. In particular, it criticised the absence of thorough customer verification procedures (Know Your Customer – KYC) and the inadequate response to repeated notifications of copyright infringement.

According to the court, providing easy access to services without thorough client identification gave pirate website operators a high degree of anonymity. This significantly complicated the normal legal steps taken by copyright holders to protect their works.

Based on these conclusions, the court ruled out the possibility of using the so-called safe harbour under Japan’s Information Distribution Platform Safety Act. It concluded that the company was aware of the illegal nature of the activities that its services enabled and had the technical ability to terminate them. Cloudflare was therefore ordered to pay approximately 500 million yen.

The decision fits into the broader international debate on the liability of digital intermediaries. Similar issues are also addressed by European law – for example, the Digital Services Act and the Copyright Directive strengthen the obligations of platforms in the area of due diligence and cooperation and limit exemptions from liability in cases where the intermediary does not act passively or respond to obvious infringements of the law.

The company is also facing regulatory measures in Italy. The regulatory authority AGCOM recently imposed a fine of over EUR 14 million on the company for violating anti-piracy legislation (Law No. 93/2023). According to the authority, the company failed to comply with an order to block access to illegal content reported by the rights holder through the Piracy Shield system and did not take sufficient technological and organisational measures to prevent the further dissemination of such content.

This development confirms that even technology intermediaries can be held directly liable if they fail to respond to clear and timely requests to remove illegal content.

Source: previti.it

FOUR ARRESTED AS PIPCU SHUT DOWN £750K ILLEGAL IPTV OPERATION

Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police has arrested 4 people and seized 10 servers in Manchester as part of an investigation into a large-scale illegal IPTV streaming service.

Officers executed warrants last week, confiscating servers and associated equipment valued at around £75,000 each, with total seizures exceeding £750,000 (€866,000).

The investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to an illicit streaming service. Investigators identified individuals believed to be operating an illegal IPTV operation supplying consumers across the UK, with one suspect alleged to have generated more than £3 million in revenue.

During the raids, officers shut down the servers on site. Sky said the action caused widespread disruption to the service’s illegal streaming output across the UK.

Detective Constable Jordan Day said the services are “organised criminal operations generating millions in illegal profits”, adding that working closely with partners such as Sky helps dismantle piracy networks and “send a clear message” to those behind them.

Matt Hibbert, Sky’s Group Director of Anti-Piracy, said the broadcaster would continue working with police and industry partners to disrupt criminal networks, and warned consumers that illegal streams can expose devices and personal data to risks. He pointed to research from BeStreamWise suggesting nearly 65% of illegal streamers have faced security scares such as malware.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

US SEIZES DOMAINS LINKED TO BULGARIAN PIRACY SITES ZAMUNDA, ARENABG AND ZELKA

The US Department of Justice has issued seizure warrants against three US-registered internet domains tied to commercial websites allegedly operated from Bulgaria and accused of distributing copyrighted content without authorisation.

In a statement, the department said the services offered pirated copies of movies, television programmes and other content, including video games, software and e-books.

According to affidavits supporting the warrants, the three domains attracted “tens of millions” of visits a year, hosted “thousands” of infringed works and drove “millions” of downloads, with retail value totalling millions of dollars. The department said the sites were among the most popular in Bulgaria, with one frequently ranking in the country’s top 10 domains, and appeared to generate significant advertising revenue.

Visitors attempting to reach the services will now see a seizure notice stating the domains are in US government custody and warning that wilful copyright infringement is a crime. The domains named in the action are zamunda.net, arenabg.com and zelka.org.

The operation involved cooperation with Bulgarian agencies and Europol, one of a number of coordinated international law-enforcement operations to take place in recent weeks. The DOJ said it worked with Bulgarian partners including the National Investigative Service, the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, the State Agency for National Security and the Prosecutor’s Office, alongside US partners including the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, Homeland Security Investigations and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

The department said the investigation is being led by HSI, with prosecutors from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the Southern District of Mississippi, and support from its International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property programme based in Bucharest.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

OPERATION SWITCH OFF TAKES MAJOR ILLEGAL IPTV PLATFORMS OFFLINE

A coordinated international law-enforcement operation led by the Catania District Prosecutor’s Office and Italy’s Postal and Cybercrime Police has targeted an industrial-scale illegal IPTV network, with investigators naming 31 suspects following raids in 11 Italian cities and 14 countries.

ACE said the action took offline infrastructure serving millions of users, while Italian authorities and supporting reports said more than 1,000 resellers in Italy were shut down and more than 125,000 end users were blocked in the country, with “millions” more impacted worldwide.

The operation resulted in the seizure of three well-known illegal IPTV platforms – IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV and DarkTV – alongside associated websites and Telegram sales channels. Investigators said the services offered pirated live and on-demand programming from major rights holders and platforms including Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Paramount and Disney+.

Authorities said the investigation grew out of leads and forensic work linked to a previous operation, Taken Down, and included network monitoring and financial tracing, including cryptocurrency flows. Reports also pointed to proEuropaTV being identified in Romania, distributing via six servers in Romania and an African country, and the discovery of a SIM farm in Naples with more than 200 phone cards.

ACE and industry partners framed the takedown as timely ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with DAZN saying the case showed the impact of “coordinated global action” against piracy that undermines investment and exposes consumers to fraud and cyber risks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

CZECH MEDIA SIGN SELF-REGULATION MEMORANDUM WITH EMFA

The Czech media has prepared the first representative self-regulatory mechanism on the Czech market. The self-regulatory mechanism (known as the “self-regulatory decalogue”) was created in cooperation with private and public media and organisations representing journalists. Its aim is to help maintain high standards of journalism and quality reporting in the Czech Republic. It contains a number of rules designed to ensure transparent and responsible journalism. Representatives of industry associations today signed a memorandum on this decalogue, formally completing the entire process of its adoption.

Today’s signing is the result of more than a year of debate across the entire Czech media market. Representatives of private and public media as well as the journalistic community took part in the discussion. The first joint step was the adoption last August of the so-called “self-regulatory ten commandments”, which define the principles of freedom, transparency and responsibility of the media towards the public.

To ensure that the ten commandments did not remain merely a formality, it was necessary to create a system for putting them into practice. The signatory associations (AKTV, AOV, APSV, ČUV, SPIR, CZ IPI and the Czech Syndicate of Journalists) therefore agreed in a memorandum on a clear procedure for individual media outlets to join, who will oversee compliance with the rules and how professional organisations will cooperate with each other.

Individual media outlets can now sign up to the memorandum. This option is open to both members and non-members of the associations, who can do so through the relevant signatory professional organisation that corresponds to their focus. More detailed information will be available on the websites of the signatory associations.

The main objective of the memorandum is to create a unified self-regulatory mechanism and improve the position of media service operators vis-à-vis large online platforms (VLOPs), against which Czech editorial offices can act as a strong and unified partner thanks to the agreement reached. Self-regulation was established in response to the European EMFA regulation.

“Today’s signing of the self-regulation memorandum is the result of the first ever open and systematic debate across the Czech media market. Commercial and public service media and journalists have agreed on the basic principles of transparent, ethical and responsible journalism. We believe that the self-regulation decalogue will help to cultivate news reporting and guide viewers and readers in today’s turbulent times,”

said Marek Singer, president of the Association of Commercial Television Stations.

“This is a unique moment for the Czech media market in two respects: for the first time in our post-revolutionary history, all the main professional organisations have agreed on common rules for market self-regulation. We see this as a crucial step at a time when it is increasingly difficult to distinguish relevant independent news from disinformation, propaganda in the interests of third countries, or unverified content created by AI. Secondly, this step also makes us a flagship for countries where self-regulation is still lacking or not functioning. We are pleased that the model we have created together in the Czech Republic is inspiring for many of our colleagues in Europe and that we can thus contribute to the cultivation of the media environment in other countries as well,” said Lucie Sýkorová, member of the board of the Association of Online Publishers.

“The entire media market has chosen the path of self-regulation, a path without further state intervention. We are aware that it is crucial for the future of private radio stations and all national media to retain control over content, its distribution and monetisation. It is also a way to preserve independence. At the same time, we appreciate that EMFA is raising the issue of protecting the media from the dominance of global online platforms,” Jiří Hrabák, Chairman of the Board of APSV.

“From the perspective of journalists themselves, professional self-regulation and setting standards is always better than any intervention by public authorities, regardless of who is in government,” says Robert Čásenský, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Czech National Committee of the International Press Institute.

“Media freedom is neither a given nor a privilege – it is a responsibility. This memorandum is proof that the Czech media scene is capable of bearing this responsibility itself, openly and collectively,” said Tomáš Tkačík, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Czech Union of Publishers.

“The digital media market is evolving faster than any regulation. That is why we consider self-regulation to be the most effective way to protect media independence, content transparency and a level playing field with global online platforms. The memorandum is an important signal that the Czech media want to bear this responsibility together,” said Michal Hanák, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Association for Internet Development in the Czech Republic.

“The fact that media partners and competitors have been able to agree together shows that they take this commitment seriously. Among other things, it is also a clear signal to government officials that the Czech media market is not a jungle but a field with clear rules that all participants have committed to follow,” Ivana Šuláková, Chair of the Czech Syndicate of Journalists.

SPAIN: LANDMARK RULING AGAINST TV PIRACY

A Spanish court has set a new benchmark in the fight against TV piracy by imposing prison sentences of up to three years on those responsible for illegally distributing the signal of Movistar+ and other pay-TV operators.

In a ruling – described as a turning point for the audiovisual industry – the Málaga Provincial Court ordered the definitive closure of the websites servicio-iptv, servicioiptvccam and servicioiptvpremium for serious breaches of Spain’s Intellectual Property Law. The portals were used to market unauthorised access to pay-TV services.

The judgment is particularly severe in that it entails mandatory prison terms, with no option to avoid custody even for defendants with no previous criminal record — a mitigating factor that had been accepted in similar cases in the past. The decision was issued as a plea agreement after the defendants admitted the facts and accepted the prosecution’s proposed sentence, ruling out any possibility of appeal and slightly reducing the overall penalty.

According to the investigation, the criminal network offered access lists to more than 8,000 national and international TV channels through its various platforms. The operation, which lasted several months, was carried out by Spain’s National Police and ultimately led to the dismantling of an organised group dedicated to the illegal commercialisation of pay-TV signals.

Among the pirated content were the 64 exclusive channels of Movistar+, whose owner Telefónica spearheaded the legal action. The case was later joined by ADIVAN, an association representing major entertainment and streaming companies including Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Spain and The Walt Disney Company.

In addition to custodial sentences, the court imposed financial fines, upheld the blocking of the illegal websites and established civil liability in favour of Telefónica, provisionally set at €80,000. In its reasoning, the court highlighted the economic impact of the damage caused and the particular seriousness of the offences, given the scale of unauthorised content exploitation.

The ruling also details the business model behind the illegal services, which offered fraudulent connections at reseller rates of €10 per month, €35 for six months or €50 for a full year, all providing access to thousands of channels. These factors were treated as aggravating circumstances, reflecting both significant financial gain and a repeated, deliberate infringement of intellectual property rights.

Source: advanced-television.com

AI IS ALREADY CHANGING THE WORLD OF MEDIA; IN 2026, IT COULD BE ADVERTISING’S TURN

Tech giants such as Google have made such progress with artificial intelligence that it is already having a noticeable impact on the business of many online media outlets. This trend will intensify in 2026.

The world of digital media reached a turning point in 2025. For many users of the Google search engine, for example, it no longer makes sense to click on links in search results, because Google uses AI to summarise the content of relevant pages for them. Czech users also gained access to this feature in 2025. The same applies to the deployment of AI mode, which allows users to switch the standard Google search field to a conversation mode with an intelligent chatbot modelled on ChatGPT.

Both innovations have the potential to significantly transform the way internet users consume digital content. In its recent analysis, the Association for Internet Development (SPIR) pointed to a significant decline in traffic to Czech websites from internet search engines, which are among the main sources of readers. Among other things, these findings are heightening publishers’ concerns about further erosion of their business model, where trusted websites serve as one of the sources of information for artificial intelligence models, but content creators do not profit from this in any way.

More than just a bubble

But while the business of established media may have a problem with the rise of AI, an equally pressing question in 2026 will be the financial sustainability of the whole artificial intelligence craze. In this context, it is not necessarily a question of whether the events surrounding the shares of Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta or Oracle resemble an inflated bubble. As US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pointed out, the current investment craze surrounding artificial intelligence cannot be compared to the infamous dot-com bubble at the turn of the millennium. According to Powell, the reason for this is the overall healthy business fundamentals of today’s largest technology companies.

Investors can also take comfort in the fact that the boom in AI is being driven primarily by highly profitable companies that dominate their market segments. This includes internet advertising.

A new era of personalised advertising?

However, Google does not currently plan to display advertising in its advanced artificial intelligence model called Gemini. At the same time, it is testing the deployment of advertising in AI mode, which could gradually replace the current form of Googling for more and more users.

In the case of other forms of AI, however, the deployment of hyper-personalised advertising may only be a matter of time. During Christmas, The Information published a report that OpenAI is already discussing the possible form of advertising in ChatGPT. These considerations are reportedly driven by the tech company’s desire not to rely solely on revenue from paid features and commercial contracts. After all, only five per cent of its 800 million regular users are paying customers.

In addition, the company has huge investment plans, with plans to spend a trillion dollars in the coming years to develop its business. OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman sees the company’s IPO as one possible solution to the capital intensity of its plans. Analysts speculate that this could happen at the end of 2026, but Altman does not specify these assumptions.

However, according to his words for the Big Technology podcast, he realises that OpenAI would come under even greater scrutiny if it went public. This would also mean greater pressure on profitability from shareholders, for whom the idea of placing advertisements in ChatGPT could represent an attractive prospect for improving the financial performance of a company that has been loss-making until now.

Don’t forget about cookies

While the ingenious combination of language models and advertising is still a question for the future, marketers and publishers should not lose sight of some seemingly forgotten phenomena, even in 2026. Their industry will continue to be significantly affected by the issue of third-party cookies, which Google committed to phasing out in Chrome almost five years ago. In the spring of 2025, however, it ultimately backed down from its plan, stating that it would leave users with the existing option to access cookies in their privacy settings.

As a result, however, the entire market finds itself in a “strange hybrid state,” as was stated at the recent Adform summit. Some players are deploying new technologies, while others are trying to hold on to the old ones, even though their value is rapidly declining, practically overnight. However, a similar characteristic of the digital market may also be seen in the coming years in connection with the possible boom in artificial intelligence.

Source: mediaguru.cz

PRIMA+ NEARLY DOUBLED ITS VIEWERSHIP LAST YEAR, DRIVEN BY REALITY SHOW ZRÁDCI

The prima+ video platform recorded 200 million video views last year. This is almost double the number compared to the previous year. The reality show Zrádci (The Traitors) attracted the most viewers.

The prima+ streaming platform almost doubled its number of views last year . According to an official statement by the operating company FTV Prima, it recorded over 200 million video views in 2025, compared to 113 million in 2024. The most watched programme last year across all tariffs was Zrádci. In second place in terms of number of users was the new series of Ano, šéfe! and in third place was Farma Vojty Kotka. The most successful films of last year across all tariffs on this platform were the Czech films Kouzlo derby, Holka od vedle and Zápisník alkoholičky.

The Prima Group achieved an overall daily share of 26.78% (15 ) and 24.98% (18–69) in linear TV broadcasting in 2025. The share in prime time last year was 26.05% (15+) and 24.65% (18–69). The best months of 2025 for the Prima Group were October and April. Throughout the year, the most popular programmes among viewers in CS 15 were new in-house productions such as Polabí, Mladá krev, Kamarádi and Farma Vojty Kotka.

CNN Prima News recorded the highest growth among Prima Group stations and on the television market as a whole last year. It achieved an all-day share of 2.60% (15 ), which represented an increase of 0.64 pb compared to 2024. The most successful month was October, the election month, with a share of 3.40%. Prima Krimi also grew. More here.

Source: mediaguru.cz

THU IN 2025, DESPITE THE DECLINE, DEFENDED ITS LEADERSHIP, GREW NOVA

The ranking of TV groups by share of viewership did not change last year. Despite the decrease in the share, Czech Television defended its top position in audience group 15. In prime-time and in younger audience groups, the Nova group won. CNN Prima News recorded the highest growth of all stations.

Czech Television remained the most watched TV group in the universal audience group over 15 last year. It recorded a share of 29.29%, but this was down by more than one percentage point year-on-year. In prime time 15 and in all other crucial audience groups 15-54 and 18-69, TV Nova defended its lead in both day and evening viewing. This is according to official ATO-Nielsen viewership data.

At the same time,the Nova group improved the most of all TV players in 2025. It increased its share in all key target groups across all day and prime-time. It posted the highest increases in its primary 15-54 group, both in primetime and throughout the day.

The Prima Group was able to improve its share in the wider over-15 audience group in the evening last year. In its main audience group 18-69, it defended its result from the previous year in the evening, but fell behind by 0.3 percentage points in the full day. Overall, it was the third strongest TV group.

Televize Seznam continued its growth in 2025. It did well in both daytime and prime time. It had already reached 2.16% in its crucial 18-69 group.

Atmedia also improved its performance in all-day broadcasting last year. The Óčko group also increased it slightly.

The TV Barrandov group confirmed its better result in the 15-54 audience group last year.

CNN Prima News’ Jumper of the Year

Of the individual stations, CNN Prima News had the highest year-over-year increase. Its share increased by 0.64 percentage points to 2.6% in audience group 15 . Interest in national news was reflected in the growth of news station ČT24, which increased its share by 0.49 percentage points to 4.62% in 2025. The third channel with the highest year-on-year growth was the main channel TV Nova. It improved by 0.4 percentage points to 18.03%. The top 5 highest growing channels are also Prima Krimi and Televize Seznam.

TOP 5 stations with the highest growth in 2025 (CS 15 )

CNN Prima News: 0.64 pp. to 2.60%
ČT24: 0.49 pp. to 4.62%
Nova: 0.44 pp. to 18.04 %
Prima Krimi: 0,40 pp. to 4,41 %
Televize Seznam: 0.39 pp. to 2.05 %

However, the top three domestic TV stations have not changed in 2025. The number one channel is the main channel TV Nova, ahead of the main channel ČT1 and the main channel TV Prima. The growth in share earned the new Prima Krimi channel, which last year leapfrogged ČT2, into the top five.

Source: mediaguru.cz

Thousands of files on one server

He faces imprisonment

More than just a bubble

A new era of personalised advertising?

Don’t forget about cookies

CNN Prima News’ Jumper of the Year