Antipiracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has welcomed the success of Operation Switch Off, a coordinated global law-enforcement action addressing industrial-scale illegal IPTV services impacting audiences and content markets around the world.

Led by the District Prosecutor’s Office of Catania and the Italian State Police (Postal and Cybercrime Police) and C.O.S.C. Catania, with international coordination by Eurojust and support from Europol and Interpol, the coordinated enforcement action identified 31 suspects following 29 raids in 11 Italian cities and 14 countries worldwide, including Spain, Romania, the UK, Canada, India, South Korea, and the UAE.

The investigation uncovered a structured, hierarchical criminal organisation operating at industrial scale, distributing unauthorised pay-tv and on-demand content to millions of users and generating millions of euros in illicit revenue each month. The activity generated significant illicit revenue while undermining legitimate markets, harming the creative economy, and exposing consumers to unreliable services and broader cyber and financial crime risks.

Key results of the operation include:

• Illegal IPTV infrastructure serving millions of users taken offline
• Approximately 250 Italian resellers dismantled
• More than 125,000 end users disconnected in Italy, and millions globally
• Seizure of major illegal IPTV platforms including IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV, and DarkTV
• Removal of associated websites and Telegram-based sales channels
• Six servers seized outside of Italy

“Operation Switch Off demonstrates the power of coordinated global action in confronting large-scale piracy networks that damage the entire sports ecosystem,” said Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer at DAZN. “Illegal IPTV services don’t just steal from rights holders – they undermine investment in the sports and entertainment audiences love, and they expose fans to fraud and cyber threats. DAZN is proud to work alongside ACE and law enforcement partners worldwide to protect the value of sports, ensure a safe viewing experience, and help preserve the integrity of the legitimate marketplace.”

“ACE is proud to support the important work of global law enforcement and judicial authorities through intelligence sharing, technical expertise, and operational cooperation enabled by its members,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association. “This case reinforces a reality observed by ACE members worldwide: effective action against IPTV piracy depends on sustained cross-border cooperation and the consistent application of legal and operational tools that match the scale of the harm.”

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Business, Content, IPTV, OTT, Pay TV, Piracy, Policy, Regulation, Rights

Tags: ACE, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Eurojust, Europol, Interpol