Latin America. As the pandemic halted live sports, pay-TV operators had to adapt in a number of ways to reduce revenue losses, as subscribers of premium live sports packages chose to cancel or pause subscriptions.
Many employed archived content and 'replays' of past sporting events as their strategy to maintain momentum, while the promise of packed match lists once sports resumed gave fans something to look forward to, as has been the case with the English Premier League (EPL).
Live sports are now slowly starting to return to our screens, representing a gradual return to normalcy for pay-TV operators looking to rebuild revenue and recover from the significant losses the pandemic has caused. To create a semblance of normalcy, some are taking innovative steps to synthesize traditional atmospheres, as the PLA has done by broadcasting false fan noise alongside its broadcast despite mandatory empty stadiums, indicating the role technology can play in rebuilding engagement and keeping viewers coming back. Others are adapting their pricing structures with the aim of attracting viewers without asking them to invest at the same level as before.
However, operators and rights holders aren't the only ones resuming activity as sports recover: commercial pirates are also looking to tap into a busy roster of matches and are ramping up activity as a sudden supply of live sports meets unprecedented demand from fans. eager to catch up on months of lost entertainment.
Operators and content owners must act quickly to protect themselves. Implementing technologies, such as forensic watermarking to quickly identify illegal flows and the source of the leak as part of a number of advanced security measures, allows operators and content owners to protect the value of their content. Disrupting these illegal broadcasts quickly is vital for live sports content. However, the technology must be part of the operator's protection strategy. To follow the frequently used sports mantra: "sometimes, the best defense is a good offense."
Hackers are advancing their technologies at the same pace as legitimate service providers and will often switch their service to another server and get back online in a matter of minutes if service providers unilaterally interrupt them. It is critical for operators to get ahead of them. IP blocking, website blocking, and DNS redirection all have a role to play, especially for sports rights holders. For the industry's anti-piracy activities to be truly successful, the support of legislative bodies in various countries and regions is needed to develop legal frameworks that allow governments or courts to issue anti-piracy blocking orders on live sports sites and video-on-demand websites; to shut down illegal wholesale services; and take legal action against criminals operating such sites. By collaborating with governments around the world, it eliminates the ability of pirates to house in different jurisdictions and continue to steal services.
In Southeast Asia, we're starting to see governments recognize the effectiveness of site blocking and work with industry to block illicit websites and apps. In Indonesia and Malaysia, streamlined regulatory processes have been particularly effective with noticeable changes in consumers' viewing habits, moving from hacking sites to reliable and secure legal services. According to a June 2020 YouGov survey of Indonesia, 50% of consumers who noticed that authorities had blocked a hacking service stated that they no longer had access to piracy services, and 34% stated that they now rarely access piracy services. Thailand has recently improved its site blocking provisions, in Vietnam site blocking is at an incipient stage and the Philippine government is currently working with the industry to implement a regulatory site blocking protocol. Other Southeast Asian countries are also expected to take note and follow suit.
In addition, in partnership with local law enforcement, the elimination of large pirate trading companies can be very effective, as it can help stop them before they can broadcast live sports and devalue them completely. The recent collaboration between Nagra, the German Football League (DFL), the Spanish Football League (La Liga), Nordic Content Protection, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the Spanish police, Europol and Eurojust meant the effective elimination of a piracy network based in Spain (but operated worldwide), generating profits in excess of 15 million euros and causing much greater damage to the content industry.
This particular pirate network offered more than 40,000 channels of video and video-on-demand content, including a wide range of sporting events, with more than 50 pirate servers located in various countries in Europe and elsewhere. More work is urgently needed with greater collaboration between operators, content owners, rights holders and governments. Fortunately, collaboration within the industry and with governments, law enforcement, and content owners has set a precedent for how such efforts can have a tangible impact in stopping the spread of commercial piracy and holding those responsible to account.
But a successful anti-piracy strategy doesn't depend solely on one tool. It is part of a holistic, customized solution that incorporates offensive and defensive tactics to address the challenges of a multitude of threats. Whether it's taking steps to educate consumers about the impact of piracy, pressuring the government to legislate, working directly with law enforcement, or employing technologies through the service, the best anti-piracy strategy protects and fights back.
Text written by Pascal Métral, Vice President of Legal Affairs, Head of Anti-Piracy Intelligence, Investigations and Litigation of Nagra.
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