UEFA Crackdown On Illegal Football Streaming

UEFA has hailed the success of a major international law enforcement operation that dismantled nine organised criminal groups involved in illegal sports streaming and IPTV services, following a seven-month investigation coordinated by Europol and national authorities.

Operation Kratos 2, co-led by Europol and Bulgaria's General Directorate Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), targeted criminal networks responsible for supplying illegal IPTV subscriptions and unauthorised online streaming platforms that broadcast premium sporting events, including UEFA competitions.

The operation ran from September 2025 through April 2026 and involved law enforcement agencies from multiple European Union member states, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States. UEFA supported the investigation by providing intelligence and expertise related to the unlawful distribution of its competition broadcasts, drawing on its content protection programme and advanced monitoring technologies.

Authorities carried out 148 searches during the operation, identified 86 suspects and arrested 29 individuals. Investigators also dismantled nine organised criminal groups and removed more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs, dealing a significant blow to the illicit streaming ecosystem.

A UEFA spokesperson praised the collaborative effort between public authorities and industry stakeholders.

"UEFA strongly supports coordinated international action against organised crime in the digital environment. We would like to thank all of the authorities and industry partners involved for their continued cooperation and contributions," the spokesperson said.

The organisation noted that the operation demonstrated the value of international cooperation in tackling the increasingly sophisticated networks behind illegal streaming services.

"Operations such as this highlight the importance of cross-border collaborative action designed to tackle the wider ecosystem behind illegal streaming services with the specific aim of identifying, and taking down, the networks and individuals driving these activities," the spokesperson added.

Illegal streaming has become a growing concern for sports organisations and broadcasters worldwide, with criminal groups increasingly exploiting digital platforms to distribute copyrighted content without authorisation. UEFA said protecting media rights remains essential to supporting clubs, leagues, players and grassroots football across Europe.

"Protecting media rights revenues remains critical to sustaining the entire European football ecosystem," the UEFA spokesperson said. "UEFA is fully committed to doing everything possible to combat this evolving threat and will continue to work closely with law enforcement authorities and industry partners as part of these ongoing efforts."

Operation Kratos 2 follows the success of the original Operation Kratos, conducted in 2024, and represents one of the largest coordinated enforcement actions against illegal streaming networks in Europe to date. The results underscore the growing determination of rights holders and law enforcement agencies to combat digital piracy and disrupt the organised criminal groups profiting from it.

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