La Liga anti-piracy enforcement efforts

La Liga has initiated efforts to combat the illegal distribution of sports content through strategic partnerships and regulatory requests.

Initially, La Liga entered into an anti-piracy agreement with CANAL+ to protect the sports ecosystem across nearly 50 countries in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Haiti. This collaboration focuses on sharing intelligence and coordinating enforcement to disrupt illegal distribution networks. The organizations highlighted that illegal streaming also presents security risks to users, such as malware and data theft.

Following this, La Liga expanded its efforts by formally requesting that the European Commission include several Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers on its Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. The league argues that services such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN facilitate piracy by allowing users to bypass geoblocking. La Liga specifically noted that some providers profit from affiliate marketing related to tutorials on circumventing broadcast restrictions. In response, Proton VPN has criticized the move, arguing that La Liga is attempting to hold technical intermediaries responsible for the actions of third parties.