UEFA supports international anti-piracy operation

UEFA welcomes the international anti-piracy operation led by the Republic of Bulgaria’s Ministry of the Interior, with key support from the law enforcement agencies of the Italian Republic and the Republic of Croatia, as well as Europol and Eurojust.

Operation Kratos, carried out in summer 2024 against the background of major sporting events such as UEFA EURO 2024, brought together law enforcement authorities from both EU Member States and non-EU countries. The Operation saw 112 searches and seizures of equipment as well as 102 suspects identified, with 11 subsequent arrests. The network was found to have reached over 22 million users worldwide.

UEFA took part in the Operation and contributed with timely and detailed information about illegal streams of UEFA competitions based on its extensive content protection programme which uses the latest technology available.

“UEFA welcomes and supports such a successful and unprecedented operation that neutralised a record number of illegal streaming platforms and illegal IPTV services. We would like to thank the various stakeholders involved for their ongoing efforts and the high level of cooperation in fighting digital piracy by bringing actions such as this against organised crime” said a UEFA spokesperson.

“Financial revenue generated from media rights is vital for the well-being of both professional and amateur football. In particular, it is essential to football development and grassroots investment throughout Europe.

“The fight against the online piracy of our competitions remains a key priority for UEFA. We are committed to doing whatever is possible to stop this core threat to the revenues which underpin the European football ecosystem.”