Telecom companies are taking hundreds of illegal streaming services offline

For illegally broadcasting football matches

Telecom companies Telenet, Proximus and Orange Belgium/VOO blocked no fewer than a hundred sites last weekend because they were illegally live streaming Belgian football matches.

It has never happened in our country that so many sites have been taken offline and this action is a clear signal in the fight against piracy.

Complaint filed by Eleven/DAZN

This channel, which bought the rights to broadcast Belgian football, filed a complaint and won their right in court.

“Those sites hack the signal of the matches and then broadcast it illegally. The Dutch-speaking corporate court in Brussels has now ruled that this is not possible.”

Bart Boone (Telenet spokesperson)

Illegal streaming isn’t a new problem

It is no longer possible to reach these sites from our country, but the spokesperson also admits that there will be more of these sites. This phenomenon is not new and sports matches appear to be extremely popular with illegal streaming services. It will be important to consider how to counter this in the future.

“We therefore call on all governments and regulators to continue to combat these illegal practices. It cannot be the intention to have to go to court every time, additional measures are needed.”

Bart Boone

Same concerns with the Belgian Gaming Commission

Magalie Clavie, President of the Gaming Commission, discussed the process of getting illegal casino websites blacklisted by internet providers at Safer Gambling Week 2023.

The Belgian regulator experienced many delays and difficulties in taking decisive action and blocking certain websites from access to the Belgian public. In that perspective, it may be useful to start a dialogue with similar parties that experience damage or inconvenience from parties that stream illegally or offer services that allow them to escape the attention of a regulatory body.