Canal+ and LaLiga join forces to fight piracy across 50 countries in Europe, Africa and Haiti

Canal+ and LaLiga have announced a wide-ranging strategic agreement to intensify the battle against sports content piracy. The partnership spans close to 50 countries across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti, making it one of the most ambitious collaborations ever established between a global audiovisual operator and a major football competition.

The shared goal is to protect the financial sustainability of sport and to secure a funding model built on audiovisual rights, which continues to be threatened by illegal signal distribution across multiple territories.

• The deal covers nearly 50 countries across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti.
• Canal+ and LaLiga will combine technology, intelligence and enforcement capabilities against illegal networks.
• Javier Tebas describes piracy as one of the biggest challenges for the future of professional sport.
• Maxime Saada says piracy undermines the entire sports ecosystem.
• The partnership also aims to protect fans from malware, fraud and personal data theft.

An anti-piracy alliance spanning three continents

The agreement between the French broadcasting group and the Spanish football organisation is not limited to a single market. Its scope reaches territories across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti, a broad geography where both parties already operate and where they will be able to coordinate strategies with greater efficiency.

Canal+ and LaLiga have long been among the most active players in the pursuit of illegal streaming services. They are now going further by building a common front that allows them to exchange information, align priorities and react faster against networks operating simultaneously in several countries.

Shared technology and intelligence against illegal networks

The partnership includes a fluid exchange of data and intelligence between the two organisations. The plan is to detect unauthorised distribution points more quickly, identify those responsible and coordinate legal or technical actions that block access to pirated broadcasts.

The collaboration will combine monitoring tools, legal expertise and operational capacity across different countries. This joint approach responds to the reality that no single entity can contain a phenomenon that moves quickly across borders.

What Javier Tebas and Maxime Saada said about the deal

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has described piracy as one of the biggest threats to the future of professional sport. In his view, no organisation can solve this problem alone, which is why partnerships of this kind are crucial to bring together technology, information and enforcement capabilities.

Piracy is one of the greatest challenges for the future of professional sport. No organisation can face this problem alone, and that is why alliances like this are so important. By joining forces with CANAL+, we combine technology, intelligence and operational capabilities.

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada shares that view. The French executive believes piracy weakens the whole sports ecosystem and expects the combination of expertise to significantly strengthen both partners' ability to act.

Our Group shares a common conviction with LaLiga, one of the sports leagues most committed to the fight against piracy: piracy undermines the entire sports ecosystem. By pooling our expertise in the fight against piracy, we are significantly strengthening our capacity to act.

Why piracy is no longer just a copyright issue

The understanding of the problem has shifted. What was once treated mainly as an intellectual property violation is now seen as a structural threat to the sustainability of football and the audiovisual industry: every illegal broadcast weakens investment, slows innovation and reduces the value of the rights that support clubs, competitions and broadcasters.

For Canal+ and LaLiga, protecting content is also a way of looking after viewers. Illegal platforms expose users to concrete dangers: theft of personal information, malware infections, financial fraud and access to unregulated signals.

Safe, high-quality access as the answer to pirate services

The push against piracy also aims for a direct result: giving fans a superior experience through legal channels. The priority is to guarantee reliable, secure access with the highest quality standards to one of the most followed football competitions in the world.

The combined technical and human resources of Canal+ and LaLiga are designed to raise the operating costs for illegal networks while making the legal offer more attractive. It is the two-track approach both organisations are using to build a more protected sports ecosystem and a viewing experience that matches today's demands.