Europol dismantles massive illegal IPTV network

The pirate service had 22 million subscribers, generating an estimated €250 million in monthly revenue.

On November 27, 2024, Europol announced it had coordinated, the day prior, the dismantling of one of the largest illegal IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) networks in the world. The operation, which included 11 arrests in Croatia, targeted a criminal group that pirated 2,500 TV channels and streaming services, many of which focused on sports. The service had amassed 22 million subscribers, with monthly revenues estimated at €250 million—equivalent to €3 billion annually.

Eurojust estimates the total financial damage to the pirated entities at €10 billion annually.
“To evade authorities, the suspects allegedly used encrypted messaging services for communication and fake identities to register phone numbers, credit cards, server rentals, and TV subscriptions,” Eurojust stated.

Law enforcement carried out 112 searches involving 102 suspects in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, the United Kingdom, and China. Authorities also seized 29 servers, 270 IPTV devices, drugs, weapons, over €1.6 million in cryptocurrency, and €40,000 in cash.