IPTV piracy was and still is a huge business worldwide. Providers lure users with monthly fees starting at €15 for a subscription that supposedly allows them to stream over 1,000 TV programs live online. However, this isn't entirely legal in all cases. Criminal networks have also established themselves here.
High cable TV fees, no access to a satellite dish, limited channel reception. The reasons why more and more people are opting for IPTV providers (television programming via the internet) are likely individual and varied. Smart TVs, which can be retrofitted with numerous apps to access other services, meet the necessary requirements. Turn on the TV -> start the app -> hundreds of channels from home and abroad.
One of the most well-known cases in criminal history was arguably the Xtream Codes network. In 2019, around 100 Italian police officers raided alleged business premises, almost simultaneously carrying out several other raids and house searches in five other countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and Bulgaria. Over 25 people were temporarily arrested. According to Europol, there were 102 suspects across Europe. This "black IPTV" service provider specialized in offering internet interfaces for resellers. During the investigation, it was assumed that over 700,000 end customers in Italy alone used the Xtream Codes service. A total of well over 20 million people are said to have used the original service via online TV pirates. The software was used to technically "intercept" countless television programs and feed them over the internet. The pirate broadcaster expanded the software network for service resellers, who could independently manage settings for their clients and offer sub-services for a fee. Police and media circles described the operation as the "biggest blow to the online TV pirates' business.". Europol was the primary investigative and coordinating authority. The Xtream Codes service offered its clients over 2,500 TV programs worldwide in various languages. The Bulgarian company Xtream Codes LTD, founded for this purpose, allegedly operated thousands of network servers.
Another major case was Flawless IPTV. The operator focused on content from the British Premier League and was sued by the same organisation. A total of five individuals had to appear in court. Through their illegal activities, they generated profits of over 3 million pounds with tens of thousands of subscriptions. The illegal streaming service lasted less than two years. With two other online offerings, which were not as successful as the football segment, the venture generated total revenue of almost 5 million pounds. The men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms following civil trials.
The IPTV provider SET-TV also found itself stranded in a California court a few years ago. The former streaming service faced significant rights disputes with Netflix and Amazon, among others. Other major providers also announced legal action against the pirate channel. Whether the proceeds from piracy would have offset the damages of over $7 million is unknown. The former operator is no longer permitted to offer such a service.
Over time, numerous other IPTV platform providers have disappeared due to legal difficulties and regulatory investigations. These include Iconic Streams, Nitro TV, and Gears TV Reloaded, founded by a former employee of telecommunications giant AT&T.
However, users should not panic. Of course, there are countless legal and reputable streaming services. In Germany, these include the JOYN service provided by Pro7Sat1 AG and the compact provider Waipu.tv from EXARING AG.
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EUROPOL European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation im Artikel: "European law enforcement stops illegal IPTV service providers" (German)
Tech-Blog Tarnkappe . Info im Artikel "Black IPTV: europaweiter Bust bei Xtream Codes mit 50 Mio. Kunden" vom 18.09.2019 (German)
Redaktion Futurezone . at Österreich im Artikel: "Polizei greift gegen illegales Streaming durch" vom 18.09.2019 (German)