Live Sports Content Protection

Live piracy runs on a clock

Most piracy is a long-tail problem: a film or a series is copied, and the copies keep surfacing for months. Live sports is different. An illegal stream of a match is valuable for ninety minutes, sometimes less, and almost worthless once the result is known. A takedown that arrives the next morning protects nothing.

That changes how protection has to work. It has to be prepared before the event, act while the event is on, and then clean up what is left afterwards. We have been protecting rights owners' content since 2013, and live events are where the same method, monitor, verify, take down, report, runs on the tightest timeline.

Where illegal sports streams spread

Illegal live sports reach viewers through a small number of routes, all of them built to move fast:

• Streaming sites built around live events, often on short-lived domains that change from one match to the next.
• Live streams on social platforms, where a feed can be restreamed straight from a TV screen or a capture device.
• IPTV playlists and link lists, which bundle illegal channels and match feeds for paying and non-paying viewers.
• Telegram channels, which share stream links before kickoff and swap them as soon as one is removed.
• Search results, which send viewers looking for "watch live" to all of the above.

Before the event

Protection starts before kickoff. We set up your fixtures, your official broadcasters and your licensed partners with you, so we know what a legitimate stream looks like and what is fair game. Your official highlights and promotional clips sit on a whitelist from day one.

During the event

While the match is on, we monitor the surfaces where illegal streams appear. Every stream is verified by our own technology and analysts, and verified streams go straight into takedown notices and platform escalation while they are still live. We use every route technically possible within proper procedure, and our standing as a trusted partner with major platforms is what gets streams removed while removal still matters.

After the final whistle

When the live window closes, the piracy does not stop; it changes shape. Full match replays, highlight compilations and re-posted clips appear on video platforms, social feeds and file hosts. Re-uploads are tracked and each new copy is handled as it appears, for as long as your content is under protection.

What you see

Every stream found, every action taken and every removal confirmed, through a live dashboard and periodic reports. Over a season, the picture shows you which sites, channels and platforms keep coming back, which is exactly what you need when you plan the next season's protection or talk to your broadcast partners. Our customer success team stays reachable throughout.

Who it is for

Sports rights holders, leagues and clubs, broadcasters that hold live rights, and OTT and sports streaming platforms whose subscriptions depend on exclusive live access. Live sports protection is part of our Content Protection service; see also live stream anti-piracy protection for non-sports live events.

Getting started

Tell us about your upcoming fixtures and the territories you hold rights in, and we show you where your live content is being pirated today. First report free, 14-day trial, no obligation. Get your first report or talk to our team.