LaLiga, Spain's top-flight football league, has achieved a significant legal victory by securing court orders against virtual private network provider NordVPN. The Commercial Court has mandated that NordVPN and fellow VPN service ProtonVPN actively block IP addresses originating from Spain from accessing LaLiga matches, marking a pivotal step in the league's ongoing battle against digital piracy.
Legal Mandate Against VPN Providers
The court order requires NordVPN and ProtonVPN to preserve sufficient digital evidence of unlawful transmissions of protected content. This move is part of LaLiga's sustained campaign to combat piracy both domestically and internationally, as the league aims to protect its media rights and emulate the financial success of leagues like the Premier League.
Impact on Sports Piracy Landscape
VPNs, or virtual private networks, allow users to browse the internet while disguising their true locations, enabling practices such as accessing overseas websites to watch restricted sports broadcasts. A recent report from January highlighted that illegal sports streams in Britain exceeded 3.5 billion over the past three years, with global legal media rights valued at £44 billion last year. The rise of black market gambling and devices like the Amazon Fire Stick, described as "piracy enablers" by Enders Analysis, further complicates the issue.
Broader Context and Implications
LaLiga's victory, achieved in collaboration with Telefonica Audiovisual Digital, underscores the league's priority in tackling piracy. NordVPN, owned by Nord Security and a primary sponsor of the London Lions basketball team, was founded by individuals associated with Tesonet, which owns the capital's basketball team. Meanwhile, in LaLiga standings, Real Madrid leads after 24 matches, followed closely by Barcelona, with Villarreal and Atletico Madrid rounding out the top four—the latter recently announcing a major investment from private equity firm Apollo Management.
