While countries like Italy and Spain are exploring all the avenues that exist to prevent the illegal dissemination of content, in other regions of the world the IPTV channels that broadcast pirated sports even have professional commentators.
In Spain, the fight against illegal retransmission of content has become a priority. A scenario quite similar to what we find in other regions of Europe, with Italy in the lead. However, not all countries in the world are moving in the same direction. This is the case of Russia, which has a service that broadcasts all Premier League matches, as well as other sports, to its entire community illegally. Reaching audiences estimated at around 300,000 viewers and offering services that even rival completely legal platforms.
With professional commentators
The outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine meant the end of Premier League broadcasts in Russian territory, breaking an agreement that reached several million euros per season. A scenario that caused an increase in illegal broadcasts by followers of the English domestic competition. The Sportscasts platform, active since 2016, found the definitive vein to position itself as a market leader.
Since its inception, Sportscasts has covered a large number of sporting disciplines: from Formula 1 to tennis, the NBA and ice hockey. However, its current popularity has been achieved with Premier League matches. Viewers can get the same experience they would enjoy if they subscribed to a traditional pay channel, but completely illegally. In addition to high-quality graphics and top-level audiovisual production, there is a team of 50 professional commentators who are in charge of translating the original content and narrating the matches.
Own content
Sportscasts is not only responsible for distributing content that it does not have a license for. In addition, it also offers its own content based on statistics, graphics and all types of data that allow simulating a legal broadcast in all its aspects. Such is its level of popularity, it is also advertised in local media in order to continue attracting a greater number of consumers to try its services.
As stated by different media, the reason why the platform does not broadcast LaLiga content is that, contrary to what the Premier League did, the Spanish league is still available in Russian territory through paid channels. Having chosen not to cancel any agreement in force at the relevant time. The platform’s top leader, Anton Kuzmichev, states that as soon as the Premier League legally returns to Russian territory, the service will paralyze its broadcasts, regardless of the impact this may have on its business model. In the meantime, it will continue to distribute unlicensed content for as long as the relevant Russian regulatory bodies allow.
