Posted on Apr 14, 2021, 5:56 PMUpdated Apr 14, 2021, 6:32 PM
MEPs are toughening up their voices and calling for strong measures to fight illegal sports streaming. On Tuesday, the own-initiative report “Organization of sporting events in the digital environment” was adopted by the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee.
Two major proposals emerge: the creation of “trusted flaggers” and the obligation imposed on ISPs (Internet service providers) to remove all accessible sports content within 30 minutes, online, through illegal streaming in the broadest sense. This ranges from illegal IPTV box offers to “live streaming”, two very popular hacking methods for live sporting events.
In detail, the “trusted flaggers” – who would be paid by the beneficiaries (Canal +, BeIN Sports, etc.) of the sports concerned – would have the ability to report problematic online platforms to the ISPs who would then have to withdraw the sports program by question, within 30 minutes maximum, after receiving said notification. The measure should not fail to cause debate …
“The idea is not to fall back on sports enthusiasts”
“We were inspired by what is already happening in the Netherlands”, underlines the MEP Geoffroy Didier (PPE / LR), rapporteur of the text which declares, more generally, for the establishment of a European framework governing the diffusion, on line, of the sporting events. “On its own, the French Football Federation estimates that the shortfall amounts to 500 million euros per year, which puts local federations and amateur clubs in particular at risk. And this concerns all sports throughout Europe ”, he continues. In France, the subject is also in the middle of the debates while the bill against piracy, presented last Thursday in the Council of Ministers, is already making waves.
“Afterwards, the idea is not to make everything fall on the sports enthusiasts, whereas today, they must sometimes subscribe to two, three or even four offers to be able to follow all the competitions of a single sport. Which is very dear to them, specifies Geoffroy Didier. We also want sports federations throughout Europe to entrust their broadcasting rights more to free channels. “ A philosophy similar to what is done in France.
Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix, French football Cup final, World Athletics Championships …: 21 sporting events, said to be “of major importance”, must be broadcast in clear, according to a decree of 2004.
In May, the own-initiative report “Organization of sporting events in the digital environment” will be put to the vote in the European Parliament. If it is adopted, the text will then be sent to the European Commission, which will then have to decide on the subject and propose a European directive.
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