ILLEGAL STREAMS THREATEN THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY
Pirate television and video platforms now operate as organised businesses, rather than as amateur projects. Illegal services pose a threat to television service providers. Tools now exist to quickly shut down these services. This was stated by the Association of Slovak Television Broadcasters (ATVS), which brings together the commercial television stations Markíza, JOJ and TA3.
The ATVS points out that the illegal streaming of sports broadcasts and television content poses a serious problem for the audiovisual industry. Viewers who seek out illegal streams often do not realise that they are becoming part of a system from which organised networks profit. The illegal market drains millions of euros that broadcasters could otherwise redirect towards improving programming for viewers, producing programmes or purchasing sports rights.
The association cites one example to illustrate the point: a viewer wants to watch an important UEFA Champions League match or another exclusive sports broadcast. However, they do not want to pay for an official subscription to premium channels or packages, so they search the internet for a free stream.
One innocent click…
It may seem like just one innocent click. In reality, the viewer is taking a risk – by visiting dubious websites, they may install malicious software on their computer or mobile phone, expose themselves to phishing attacks, the unauthorised collection of personal or payment details, and at the same time directly supports illegal networks that profit from content without paying for it.
Every euro lost as a result of piracy is a euro that we cannot invest in new local TV series production or in the purchase of sports licences, such as the FIFA World Cup or the Ice Hockey World Championship. Piracy directly threatens the diversity and quality of Slovak content. When viewers watch content via an illegal service, they undermine the ability of Slovak television broadcasters to deliver premium content that would otherwise be unavailable on the market,
explains Nikoleta Nagyová, project & product manager at JOJ play.
Private television operators agree that piracy does not merely diminish the value of legally acquired rights. It distorts the market, undermines a level playing field and harms everyone involved in the creation of audiovisual works.
Television broadcasters that invest in content bear all the costs and legal liability, and are at a disadvantage compared to those who use the content illegally. The fight against piracy today is not just a matter of individual legal disputes, but also of protecting the entire audiovisual market. Copyright infringement must be addressed as a serious problem that harms not only broadcasters, but also authors, performers, producers and, in effect, the entire creative industry, explains Lucia Tandlich, Director of the Legal & Compliance Centre at the Markíza Group.
A successful battle against a pirate service
Piracy is not merely a marginal phenomenon, but a real problem with concrete consequences. This was confirmed by the recent case of the sleduje.me platform. Without the necessary licences, it offered viewers more than two hundred TV channels, premium sports content and an illegal video-on-demand service for a monthly fee. Outwardly, however, it presented itself as a standard television service. MAC TV, the holder of broadcasting licences for the JOJ Group’s channels, took action against the platform in close cooperation with the Slovak Association of Cable Telecommunications (SAKT). Following the intervention, the service was completely shut down.
The fight against piracy does not end with a single case. Within hours of one domain being taken down, organised groups move their illegal service to a new domain and continue under a new name. They use social media and communication platforms to publicise the move to a different domain.
“The spread of information via social media and communication platforms has also accelerated significantly. The same technological advances that bring new opportunities for the media and viewers are also being exploited by pirates. Protecting content therefore requires ever-greater effort, investment and collaboration across the entire industry,”
says Martina Václavová, Customer Support and Content Protection Manager at the Markíza Group.
Better content security
Broadcasters must therefore fundamentally change the way they protect their content. Whilst legal disputes and protracted negotiations used to dominate in the past, today it is primarily a technological battle taking place in real time.
The most effective tool today is a combination of technological protection, robust DRM systems and automated monitoring. “We use tools for actively searching for and rigorously reporting illegal streams in collaboration with Warezio,
says Nikoleta Nagyová, project & product manager at JOJ play.
This system constantly scans the internet and, if it detects a pirated stream – for example, during a live sports broadcast – it immediately sends reports to have it blocked. A successful intervention now takes minutes rather than months.
ATVS members also point out that the quality of legal services remains a key part of content protection. Viewers expect reliable access to content, high picture quality, stable broadcasting and additional services. The better the user experience offered by legal platforms, the less room there is for illegal alternatives.
Source: parabola.cz
