Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

SPIR IS INTRODUCING POLITRAN, A SYSTEM FOR RECORDING POLITICAL ADVERTISING

The new platform enables the creation and submission of mandatory political advertising disclosures. SPIR is offering it as a central technical solution for the entire advertising market.

The Association for Internet Development (SPIR) has launched the Politran system, which is designed to help political advertising clients and media organisations comply with new European requirements on the transparency of political communication. The new service enables the creation, management and submission of mandatory political advertising disclosures.

The European Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising introduces new obligations for entities involved in the preparation, commissioning and dissemination of political advertising. This should provide the public with clearer information about what constitutes political advertising, who commissioned it and who is funding it.

The Politran system was developed as a central technical solution for fulfilling these obligations. Advertisers can use it to create political advertising notifications and submit them to publishers. Publishers can then verify the data and, where necessary, add information relating to the publication of the advertisement. The output from the system can then be used directly in the advertising message.

“The new European rules introduce obligations that will affect both political advertisers and the media that publish the adverts. Politran offers them a unified and practical solution that reduces the administrative burden and meets the requirement for transparency in political communication, not only in the online environment,” said Michal Hanák, Chairman of the SPIR Executive Board.

According to SPIR, the system is designed as a neutral infrastructure for the entire market. It is not intended to evaluate political content and does not replace the responsibility of individual entities for the accuracy of the data published.

Politran is available free of charge to advertisers. Publishers pay a fee for its use, which is intended to cover operating costs. The new service expands SPIR’s portfolio of projects alongside systems such as NetMonitor, AdMonitoring and the Advertising Performance Survey.

Source: mediaguru.cz

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

ILLEGAL STREAMS ARE NOT JUST INNOCENT CLICKS. BEHIND PIRACY LIE ORGANISED NETWORKS

Slovak television broadcasters are warning of the growing problem of illegal streaming, which is depriving them of vital revenue.

A single click on an illegal stream can have greater consequences than viewers realise. Slovak television stations point out that piracy is no longer the preserve of amateurs. Organised networks are behind the illegal distribution of sports broadcasts and television content, depriving broadcasters of millions of euros intended for the production of new series and programmes or the purchase of exclusive sports rights.

The Association of Slovak Television Broadcasters (ATVS), which brings together the television stations Markíza, JOJ and ta3, is highlighting the growing problem of illegal streaming. According to the broadcasters, this is not merely a matter of copyright infringement, but a phenomenon that directly affects the functioning of the entire audiovisual market.

Viewers often seek out unofficial streams of major sporting events or television programmes in an attempt to save on subscription fees. However, according to the television stations, such behaviour supports organised illegal business.

An innocent click? In reality, support for the piracy business

According to broadcasters, the scenario is usually straightforward. A fan wants to watch a Champions League match or another popular sporting event. Instead of using an official service, they find a free stream online.

At first glance, this seems like a harmless solution. In reality, however, the user risks malware, phishing attacks or the misuse of personal and payment details. At the same time, they are supporting platforms that profit from the content without paying the rights holders.

“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 Football World Cup or the Ice Hockey World Championship. Piracy directly threatens the diversity and quality of Slovak content,”

points out Nikoleta Nagyová, project & product manager for the platforms.

According to the television broadcasters, this is not just a matter of lost revenue for broadcasters. The impact is also felt by creators, producers, actors and other professionals working in the creative industries.

Television broadcasters speak of market distortion

Private broadcasters point out that piracy creates an unfair environment. Whilst legal television services invest in content, technology and licences, illegal platforms circumvent these costs.

“Television broadcasters that invest in content bear all the costs and legal liability, and are at a disadvantage compared to entities that 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,”

explains Lucia Tandlich, Director of the Legal & Compliance Centre at the Markíza Group.

According to her, copyright infringement harms the entire audiovisual content creation chain – from authors and performers right through to the broadcasters themselves.

A pirate service that operated as a legitimate television channel

The television stations also draw attention to the recent case of the sleduje.me platform. According to the broadcasters, this platform offered more than two hundred television channels, premium sports content and an extensive video-on-demand service for a monthly fee, without the necessary licences.

Outwardly, however, it appeared to be a standard television service. MAC TV, in collaboration with the Slovak Association of Cable Telecommunications (SAKT), took action against the platform, resulting in the network being shut down completely.

According to the television broadcasters, however, this was just one of many such cases. Piracy groups now operate as professional organisations with an international network. If one domain is blocked, it often reappears under a new name or at a new address within a matter of hours.

The battle is shifting to real time

Broadcasters admit that traditional legal procedures are no longer sufficient. Content protection is therefore increasingly reliant on modern technology and automated internet monitoring.

“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,” said Ms Nagyová.

These systems are capable of continuously monitoring the internet and identifying illegal streams within minutes during live sports broadcasts. They then automatically submit requests for their removal.

The quality of legal services is also key

ATVS members emphasise that the appeal of legal platforms remains an important part of the fight against piracy. Viewers expect high picture quality, stable broadcasts, easy access to content and additional features.

“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. Content protection therefore requires ever-greater effort, investment and collaboration across the entire sector,”

adds Martina Václavová from the Markíza Group.

At the same time, broadcasters agree that technology alone will not solve the problem. More effective legal tools, modernisation of legislation and more active involvement of law enforcement agencies are also needed. According to them, only a combination of prevention, technology and rigorous enforcement can curb organised groups that profit from illegally distributed content.

Source: medialne.trend.sk

THE SUMMER SCHEDULES OF CZECH TELEVISION, NOVA AND PRIMA WILL FEATURE REPEATS OF DRAMAS, FILMS AND COMEDIES

Twice a week, Polda on Prima, Případy mimořádné Marty on Nova, or Vyprávěj on the main channel of Czech Television. The country’s leading broadcasters will rely primarily on their archives for their summer programming.

The main domestic television channels are kicking off the summer season in the first week of July with a schedule based largely on repeats of their series, crime programmes and tried-and-tested entertainment formats. ČT1 will offer a range of long-running domestic series in prime time, whilst Nova will combine its own drama series with the reality show Farma Česko and foreign crime dramas. Prima will rely primarily on crime series, Czech comedies and traditional entertainment programmes.

Across all channels, crime remains the strongest genre in the summer schedule. Czech Television is showing repeats of its original series Místo zločinu Ostrava, Četnické humoresky, Docent, Ďáblova lest and Ztracená brána during prime time. Nova is showing repeats of the series Případy mimořádné Marty, Policie Modrava, Specialisté and AKriminálka Anděl. In the second prime-time slot, it also regularly airs the foreign series FBI and Kriminálka Las Vegas. Prima is focusing primarily on the series Polda, Dobrodružství kriminalistiky,Kriminálka Kraj II, Zákony vlka and Mordparta.

ČT will also be showing repeats of the series Doktor Martin, Vyprávěj, Most!, Volha and Svět pod hlavou. The schedule will continue to feature the traditional entertainment programmes Všechnopárty, Zázraky přírody and Komici na jedničku. The line-up will be complemented by films from the ČT archive, such as Výchova dívek v Čechách, Jedna ruka netleská, Samotáři, Úhoři mají nabito, Kdyby radši hořelo, Tátova volha, Kousek nebe, Národní třída, Báječná léta pod psa, Pouta, Všichni dobří rodáci, Jak vytrhnout velrybě stoličku, Jak dostat tatínka do polepšovny andPostřižiny.

Alongside its series, Nova will be showing the second series of the reality show Farma Česko. The channel is also scheduling Czech comedies and foreign films. On Sunday evenings, it reserves airtime for one of its long-standing flagship programmes, the series Policie Modrava.

From its archive of Czech comedy films, it will screen Slunce, seno, erotika and the Babovřesky trilogy.

A new addition to Nova’s schedule and its premiere summer programme will be the weekend morning travel programme Čekuj Česko. It will begin on Sunday 5 July at 10.30 am and will be broadcast every Sunday during the summer holidays at the same time.

Prima relies primarily on a combination of its own productions and established entertainment formats. Alongside the series Polda, it will regularly offer repeats of programmes such as Inkognito, Show Jana Krause, 7 pádů Honzy Dědka and Máme rádi Česko. On several evenings, the schedule will be supplemented by Czech comedies and foreign films. The film line-up on TV Prima will include Czech productions such as Vesničko má středisková, Všechno nebo nic, Zoufalé ženy dělají zoufalé věci and Pánský klub.

Source: mediaguru.cz

NAGRAVISION LAUNCHES AI-POWERED ANTI-PIRACY PLATFORM AS STREAMING THREATS INTENSIFY

Nagravision has unveiled NAGRA Venturi, a new intelligence-led streaming security platform designed to help broadcasters, streaming services and rights holders combat increasingly sophisticated piracy operations.

The new offering brings together the company’s existing streaming security technologies under a single framework that uses data analytics and artificial intelligence to identify, prioritise and disrupt piracy activity in real time.

The launch comes as piracy operations become more automated and increasingly AI-assisted, enabling illegal streaming services to scale rapidly and target high-value live events, particularly sports rights.

Nagravision says NAGRA Venturi moves anti-piracy efforts away from fragmented tools and reactive enforcement towards a coordinated intelligence-led approach. The platform aggregates data from across the streaming ecosystem to provide a real-time view of piracy activity and identify the threats with the greatest commercial impact.

“With AI in the hands of pirates, the market has reached an inflection point,” said Morten Solbakken, EVP and COO at Nagravision. “As piracy becomes faster, more automated, and increasingly intelligent, the industry needs a new approach. NAGRA Venturi is built to fight AI with AI, giving operators and rights holders the ability to move faster and with greater precision.”

The platform is built around three core principles: clarity, focus and impact. Nagravision says the system combines intelligence from multiple sources into a single operational view, prioritises high-value threats during critical events such as live sports broadcasts, and measures anti-piracy activity against business outcomes including revenue protection and audience retention.

A key component of the new offering is NEXUS, Nagravision’s Anti-Piracy Center, which provides managed monitoring, intelligence gathering, investigation and enforcement services. The company says its wider visibility across the piracy ecosystem allows it to identify infrastructure and content leaks that individual operators may be unable to detect on their own.

The launch builds on Nagravision’s established portfolio of content protection technologies, including forensic watermarking and multi-DRM solutions, which remain available as standalone products within the Venturi portfolio.

“For more than 30 years, Nagravision has protected the world’s most valuable content,” added Solbakken. “Built on that heritage – and informed by decades of front-line anti-piracy intelligence – NAGRA Venturi moves content protection from a reactive, tool-based model to a proactive, intelligence-led one designed for today’s piracy landscape.”

The announcement reflects a broader industry trend towards the use of AI-powered security tools as broadcasters and rights holders face increasing pressure to protect premium content, particularly live sports, from organised piracy networks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

JOINT LETTER FROM ASSOCIATIONS ON TRANSPARENCY AND LABELING IN THE FIELD OF AI

Dear Executive-Vice President Henna Virkkunen,

We are writing on behalf of associations representing the audio and audiovisual media community in Europe. Our members produce and distribute trusted media content across the EU, contributing significantly to media pluralism and serving as a credible counterweight to disinformation. We welcome the Commission’s efforts to provide clarity on the transparency obligations under Article 50 AI Act. However, we have serious concerns about several aspects of the draft Guidelines that risk producing outcomes that are disproportionate, technically un
workable and ultimately counterproductive.

Our overarching concern is that the draft guidelines adopt an overly broad interpretation of the provisions in article 50(4), (5) and article 3 No. 60. Therefore, we urge for the following amendments to the guidelines.

• Narrow and clarify the deepfake definition (para. 107-109): Limit it to content pre senting an actual risk of deception instead of extending onto merely “realistic” content. Explicitly exclude fictitious, non-deceptive content as well as minor con tent or technical adjustments.

• Clarify timing of disclosure to avoid persistent labelling (para. 132): Avoid continuous or persistent labelling obligations across content that would compromise audience engagement.

• Ensure proportionate and technically workable labelling standards that account for human perceptual limits and avoid a “banner blindness” effect.

As currently drafted, the guidelines would generate excessive and unsustainable over-la belling across a broad range of professional media content. Complying with all require ments would effectively mean that a permanent label must be displayed, even in low-risk environments. This outcome would entail substantial technical and operational burdens and – more importantly – undermine audiences’ trust in media by creating the perception of unreliability through visual clutter rather than genuine concern. This is particularly concerning, given that media service providers already operate under strict standards, ensuring regulatory oversight and human editorial responsibility. First, the deepfake definition in the draft guidelines far exceeds the scope foreseen in the AI Act. By equating the criterion of “existing” with a broader notion of “realistic” content, the guidelines depart significantly from the text and intent of Article 3(60). Similarly, by assessing audience impact against the most easily misled viewer rather than an average recipient, the draft lowers the standard far below that applied in Article 50(1) and the Commission’s established practice.

Taken together, these choices would extend the labelling obligation to content that is clearly fictitious or non-deceptive, generating legal uncertainty, undermining the risk based approach of the AI Act and producing systemic over-labelling. The definition and related obligations should not extend to content that is clearly fictitious or unrealistic and does not create genuine confusion about authenticity. Furthermore, not only minor technical but also minor content adjustments should be excluded from the notion of deep fake.

Secondly, the Guidelines misread the timing rule foreseen in the AI Act. Article 50(5 fixes the latest moment for disclosure. It does not create a continuous obligation. The reading in paragraph 132 that deepfakes must be labelled persistently or at later stages of a live broadcast is therefore disproportionate and has no basis in the law. This affects audiovisual as well as audio content, where persistent or repeated disclosure is particularly im practical and risks disrupting the listening experience. The guidelines themselves acknowledge the risk of “banner blindness”: labelling large volumes of non-deceptive content will desensitise audiences, undermining the transparency objective in precisely the cases where it matters most.

The Guidelines, as drafted, risk achieving the opposite of their stated objective: rather than building audience trust in AI transparency, they would flood viewers with labels on non-deceptive content, eroding the very signal they are meant to convey. Targeted adjust ments to the deepfake definition and the implementation/labelling requirements and the allocation of responsibility are essential to ensure the Guidelines are both legally sound and workable in practice. We would welcome the opportunity to jointly discuss and further elaborate on this matter
with you and your team at your convenience.

Yours sincerely

Signatories (in alphabetical order):

1. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Privater Rundfunk (APR)
2. Asociace komerčních televizí (AKTV)
3. Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT)
4. Association of European Radios (AER)
5. European Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (egta)
6. European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
7. Verband Österreichischer Privatsender (VÖP)
8. Verband Privater Medien (VAUNET)

PRIMA IS LAUNCHING A SPORTS CHANNEL. IT HAS BEEN GRANTED A LICENCE FOR PRIMA SPORT

The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting has granted FTV Prima a licence to operate a new nationwide sports channel, Prima sport, for a period of 12 years. The channel is to be available both via digital terrestrial broadcasting and online.

The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV) has granted FTV Prima a licence to operate the new television channel Prima sport. The licence is valid for 12 years and covers both nationwide digital broadcasting via transmitters and distribution via special transmission systems, including the internet.

According to the RRTV’s decision, Prima sport may broadcast as a themed sports channel aimed at a Czech audience, with Czech as its main language of broadcast. The channel is to be available for between 15 and 24 hours a day.

The broadcaster has been interested in entering the sports broadcasting market for some time and has, in the past, considered acquisitions or partnerships in the field of sports rights. According to information from MediaGuru.cz, there is also the option of linking up with the existing Sporty TV project, which broadcasts on the nationwide DVB-T2 network. Part of the team behind this project could move to Prima, and the channel itself could then be established building on existing sports content and infrastructure.

According to this information, the launch of the new channel could take place in the coming weeks. The Prima Group could officially unveil it at its traditional press conference on the autumn programme schedule, which usually takes place during the summer.

The Prima Group has repeatedly expressed an interest in expanding its portfolio of themed channels in the past. However, plans to launch the Prima Case and Prima Port channels ultimately fell through.

The group’s then-CEO, Marek Singer, had previously commented on the possible launch of a sports channel, stating that its implementation was contingent upon securing a suitable partnership. The sports channel thus now represents the next step in the gradual expansion of the Prima Group’s thematic channels.

Source: mediaguru.cz

ITALIAN POLICE DISMANTLE IPTV PIRACY NETWORK SERVING 2,800 SUBSCRIBERS

Italian authorities have dismantled three illegal IPTV distribution centres in the southern city of Crotone as part of a wider anti-piracy operation targeting unauthorised access to premium television services.

The investigation, led by the Guardia di Finanza with support from specialist anti-fraud and technology units, identified four individuals allegedly involved in distributing illegal subscriptions that provided access to content from leading pay television and streaming platforms.

According to investigators, the operation served at least 2,769 identified customers across 43 Italian provinces.

Authorities said the suspects operated a network of IPTV services known locally as “pezzotto”, a term commonly used in Italy to describe illegal streaming systems that provide unauthorised access to subscription television channels.

The four suspects are facing allegations including copyright infringement, intellectual property offences and self-laundering. Investigators have seized assets worth approximately €650,000, representing the estimated proceeds generated by the operation.

The investigation reportedly identified payments referencing “Ibo Player Pro”, an IPTV player application that can be installed on smart TVs, smartphones and computers and is commonly used to access streaming services.

Italian authorities said the operation reflected the increasingly organised structure of piracy networks, which typically involve “head providers” operating source servers, intermediaries acting as resellers and end users purchasing subscriptions.

According to investigators, subscription packages were sold for between €10 and €40 depending on the content offered, with customer support also provided to subscribers experiencing technical difficulties.

Andrea Duilio, Sky Italia CEO said:

“I would like to thank the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Crotone and the Crotone Financial Police for this latest Anti-Piracy operation, which confirms the law enforcement agencies’ ongoing commitment to protecting those who choose to act lawfully and the ability to identify pirate users. This is an important step in combating the sense of impunity that still surrounds this phenomenon and in reminding users of these services that they are exposing themselves not only to fines and penalties, but also to scams, theft of personal data and cyber threats.”

The Guardia di Finanza said identified users of the service will now face administrative penalties. Under Italian anti-piracy legislation, fines can range from €154 to €5,000, with higher penalties available for repeat offenders.

The latest action forms part of Italy’s wider crackdown on IPTV piracy, which has intensified since the introduction of new anti-piracy measures and enforcement powers designed to protect sports broadcasters and premium content providers.

Italy has become one of Europe’s most active markets in pursuing both suppliers and users of illegal IPTV services, with rights holders, broadcasters and law enforcement agencies increasingly coordinating anti-piracy operations.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

GOOGLE AND LALIGA REPORT PROGRESS IN ANTI-PIRACY PARTNERSHIP

Google and LALIGA have reported significant progress in their anti-piracy efforts after expanding cooperation throughout the 2025/26 football season.The two organisations said closer collaboration had improved communication processes and accelerated the handling of infringement notifications submitted by the Spanish football league, resulting in a substantial reduction in incidents linked to Google services over the course of the season.

The partnership forms part of LALIGA’s wider strategy of working with major technology companies to tackle online piracy and protect intellectual property rights. The league has made anti-piracy enforcement a central pillar of its commercial strategy as it seeks to protect the value of its domestic and international media rights.

Google said the results demonstrate the effectiveness of its existing reporting and content protection tools when combined with direct cooperation between rights holders and technology platforms.

“For Google, respect for intellectual property rights and the provision of a safe digital environment are fundamental pillars,” said Lino Cattaruzzi, President of Google Iberia. “This close collaboration with LALIGA demonstrates that, through proactive communication and the proper use of our reporting channels across our products, it is possible to provide content creators with highly effective, agile and transparent technical solutions.”

LALIGA President Javier Tebas said the partnership had strengthened the league’s ability to combat piracy and protect rights holders.

“LALIGA remains firmly committed to the fight against piracy. Collaboration is essential to putting an end to this scourge, and being able to count on major players such as Google strengthens us in our purpose,”

he said.

The announcement comes as sports rights holders continue to intensify efforts against illegal streaming services. LALIGA has been among the most aggressive organisations globally in pursuing anti-piracy measures, working with technology providers, internet service providers and law enforcement agencies to disrupt unauthorised distribution of live football content.

The league said the cooperation with Google demonstrates how coordinated action between rights holders and technology platforms can provide a more sustainable approach to content protection than enforcement measures alone.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THEY TOLD HIM NOT TO DO IT. YET THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE ČESKOKRUMLOV AREA SHARED THE SPORTS MATCH

Sportlive24.tv is seeking compensation of over half a million crowns from a 19-year-old man from the Český Krumlov area who, in May, filmed and subsequently shared the company’s martial arts broadcast on his Facebook profile. The young man reportedly did not let himself be deterred from broadcasting, despite warnings in the comments.

“During the unauthorised broadcast, the individual in question was repeatedly warned in the comments section under the live stream on Facebook by the official Sportlive24.tv profile that he was infringing broadcasting rights,” said the company’s director, Jiří Hendrych.

He mentioned that the young man did not respond to this warning, deleted the comments and blocked the Sportlive24.tv profile. “From our perspective, therefore, it cannot be said that he was unaware of the nature of his actions, or that he did not know he was broadcasting content without the rights holder’s consent,” added Hendrych.

He confirmed that the company would claim the full amount of damages, approximately 600,000 crowns. “The loss of earnings is calculated for every single person who watched the broadcast recorded by the accused. We are legally entitled to this money and we will seek to recover it. We hope this will deter others who might want to film and share such broadcasts,” said Hendrych.

He emphasised that the company would take this approach in all similar cases. “No one is anonymous on the internet, and everyone should be aware of their own responsibility,” added Hendrych.

The young man paid for the broadcast on the aforementioned platform and then recorded it on his mobile phone on the night of 27 May. At least 1,900 people watched his live stream. The police have charged him with the criminal offence of infringing copyright, rights related to copyright and database rights. In addition to paying damages, he faces up to two years in prison.

Source: novinky.cz

EUROPOL-BACKED OPERATION DISMANTLES ILLEGAL STREAMING NETWORKS

A major international law enforcement operation has dismantled 9 organised crime groups behind illegal streaming services.

Operation KRATOS 2, coordinated by Bulgaria with support from Europol, ran from September 2025 to April 2026 and targeted criminal networks distributing unauthorised access to premium sports, film and television content. The operation resulted in 29 arrests, 86 suspects identified and 148 house searches. Authorities also removed 27,332 illegal streaming URLs and reported 169 domains.

Europol said the investigation focused not only on taking down websites, but on disrupting the wider criminal ecosystem behind illegal IPTV and streaming platforms. The groups used complex technical infrastructure, separating customer-facing websites from servers hosting illegal content and distributing operations across several countries to avoid detection.

Investigators identified 722,961 infringing objects, while cooperation with private sector partners helped uncover 4,370 new piracy-linked domains, 18,331 associated IP addresses and 397,384 URLs for suspension or removal.

Europol co-led operational coordination with Bulgaria’s General Directorate Combating Organised Crime, supporting intelligence exchange, cross-border cooperation and technical analysis. Participating countries included Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the UK and the US. Europol worked with audiovisual and anti-piracy partners including AAPA, ACE/MPA, LALIGA, UEFA, Friend MTS, beIN Media Group and Irdeto.

Authorities warned that illegal streaming services expose users not only to copyright infringement, but also to malware, spyware, data theft and other cybersecurity risks.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

DIGIMEDIA: ONEPLAY IS PREPARING AN ADVERTISING PACKAGE, IVYSÍLÁNÍ IS LOOKING FOR A MODEL, ÓČKO REMAINS WITH MAFRA

Oneplay is preparing to launch an advertising package and will provide data on user behaviour, Czech Television is exploring options for user registration on iVysílání, and Óčko remains under the ownership of the Mafra media group. These topics were also discussed at Wednesday’s Digimedia conference.

The development of digital platforms, content personalisation, the sale of archives to commercial services and the transformation of the TV advertising market were among the topics at the Digimedia 2026 conference, which took place on Wednesday at Kavčí Hory. The discussion confirmed that the boundaries between traditional linear broadcasting and internet platforms are blurring, which brings new challenges in the areas of copyright and legislation.

The expansion of the Oneplay platform and the ad-supported tariff

According to Lucie Oravčíková, Digital Director at TV Nova, the joint Oneplay platform, created by merging the services of Voyo and O2 TV, continues to maintain its position as market leader ahead of global giant Netflix and is showing sustained growth. Although representatives of TV Nova declined to confirm the exact number of subscribers or disclose specific viewing figures for individual titles, they are satisfied with the project’s progress.

“The only thing I can confirm is that we are still ahead of Netflix and that we are growing,” said Oravčíková, adding that the data is based on internal surveys.

In terms of advertising sales, Oneplay is preparing to launch a new supplementary package that will include adverts and offer a more affordable alternative for a wider range of viewers. Unlike the competing platform prima+, however , Nova does not plan to introduce several different levels of advertising intensity and will maintain a clear distinction between a paid version with and without adverts. “It will simply be a supplementary tariff, just like Netflix and other streaming services have,” confirmed Oravčíková, ruling out the possibility of introducing advertising across the board for all users. She did not specify when this might happen. It is likely to happen next year.

A major step forward in the digitalisation of the television market is the planned pilot project with the Association of Television Organisations (ATO), under which Oneplay will provide one-off real-time data on user behaviour. This big data should be used in the second half of the year to evaluate the accuracy of current people meter measurements and to potentially reduce the margin of error in socio-demographic samples. “We are certainly open to this, because, of course, the accuracy of the measurement would be almost one hundred per cent,” added Oravčíková.

Personalisation of public online services

Under the approved memorandum,Czech Television is analysing the technical and legal aspects of the potential introduction of mandatory user registration on its iVysílání service. According to Milan Fridrich, Director of Programming, Content and Digital Services, the aim is to gather arguments for the Czech Television Council and market partners, with the institution having a year left to complete these analyses. The whole process is complicated by the fact that, under the Czech system, the licence fee is paid by the household, not by a specific individual.

Viewer registration, which is currently optional, would enable Czech Television to better understand its audience through personalisation and recommendations, which is a standard tool in the commercial market for selling targeted advertising. Although the public service iVysílání does not object to these functions in principle, personalisation will not apply to news content as a matter of principle, to prevent users from being confined to echo chambers.

The sale of the ČT archive and the Disney case

A key topic of debate was the distribution of Czech Television’s content on commercial IPTV platforms and the sale of its programme library to streaming services. The public broadcaster faces a lack of understanding from viewers in situations where commercial operators offer catch-up viewing for several weeks, whilst iVysílání itself has on-demand rights limited to just seven days.

An extreme example is Disney content , which ČT can only broadcast linearly on the children’s channel Déčko, yet IPTV services retain it within their user-recorded content. Increased demand for content from Kavčí Hory has led to clear rules being set out in a memorandum, which allows the sale of older archive material to a maximum of three streaming platforms simultaneously.

For works from 2016 to 2021, a five-year protection window applies for linear broadcasters, with Oneplay, prima+ and Netflix showing the greatest interest in purchasing them. In addition, the broadcaster protects its so-called ‘Golden Fund’ of iconic series produced after 1992, which includes, for example, Devadesátky and Případy 1. oddělení, and these specific titles remain strictly off-limits for sale. According to him, revenues from the sale of archive rights amount to tens of millions of crowns a year.

For legal and reputational reasons, Czech Television does not plan to change the existing free ‘must-carry’ regime for cable and satellite TV operators. Fridrich pointed out that charging IPTV operators for the signal would mean that citizens would be paying twice for the same public service, which is indefensible from a management perspective. “At that point, it would mean that we would be putting pressure on commercial IPTV services, distributors and cable TV operators, demanding money from them, even though we are, in a sense, already paid for by the public,” noted Fridrich.

The strategy of small stations and the situation in the advertising market

Vladimír Pořízek, former commercial director of Prima, who now represents the Romanian media agency Thematic Channels, presented plans for the direct sale of advertising space on smaller thematic stations, such as the AMC group’s channels. Smaller TV stations have so far relied on Media Club’s sales packages, but becoming independent and selling directly to media agencies should bring them higher revenues and greater independence. “We sell directly to media agencies, we are able to sell directly to clients, and I believe this will certainly be the way forward,” said Pořízek.

The move by smaller players to go it alone is a response to a situation where the total number of advertising impressions with major TV groups is declining, which has led to a significant rise in advertising costs over the past three years. The aggressive pricing policy of the major TV networks has led to the TV market stagnating last year and even showing a slight decline in the first half of this year, Pořízek added. Investment in thematic channels, meanwhile, enables clients to reach a large audience quickly at a significantly lower cost.

Óčko remains with Mafra

Óčko’s CEO Štěpán Wolde confirmed that the music channel will remain within Media Club’s sales network for the time being, as the latter is fulfilling its obligations, though he remains open to future discussions regarding new commercial offers. Wolde also announced the stabilisation of Óčko’s position within the Mafra media group, thereby putting an end to long-standing speculation about the channel’s move to the Prima media group, and the conclusion of his personal involvement in the Cool Lab project under the Prima banner. “I increasingly feel that we are in a decathlon, and the worst thing about a decathlon is that you don’t know which sports they’ll pick for you next season,” he said.

Source: mediaguru.cz