Antipiracy coalition The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and sports streamer DAZN have forced the closure of Photocall, a website with pirated content hosted from Spain that retransmitted live channels.
Following an investigation conducted by ACE and DAZN, the operator of Photocall was identified and traced to Spain.
ACE, a programme led by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), approached the operator and reached a settlement, resulting in the closure of the service, among other terms.
Photocall had more than 26 million visits in the past year. It provided unauthorised access to 1,127 TV channels from 60 countries, including channels broadcasting live sports content.
Nearly 30% of the site traffic originated from Spain, with over 13% from Mexico, followed by Germany, Italy, and the US at 6% each.
“Content theft harms the entire sports ecosystem,” said Oscar Vilda, CEO of DAZN Iberia. “This illegal service did not offer DAZN channels, but it did redistribute the content of some of our partners – especially MotoGP and Formula 1, as well as Serie A, the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and club channels like Real Madrid TV, Barça TV, and Betis TV.
“Following the coordinated work of DAZN’s anti-piracy team and ACE, we have safeguarded the value of those rights and ensured that fans can continue to enjoy live sports coverage with the highest quality, at an accessible price, and without facing the risks of malware or fraud.”
“Deterrence works, and we will continue pursuing illicit operations that transmit live content illegally,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Content Protection Officer at the MPA. “Our actions are targeted, proportionate, and designed to protect rights-holders and audiences while maintaining the integrity of live sports and access to legitimate services.”
In coordination with sports streamer DAZN, anti-piracy coalition Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has shut down illicit live sports streaming website Calcio. Discover more here.
ITV says sale talks with Sky for TV and streaming business are continuing
ITV has said it remains in discussions with Sky over the sale of its broadcasting and streaming business.
Whisper returns to private ownership as Sony Pictures Television sells stake
Sony Pictures Television is divesting its 30% shareholding in production company The Whisper Group after five years.
Ben Crompton joins Fremantle as Global Head of Entertainment
Fremantle has appointed Ben Crompton as its new Global Head of Entertainment.
iPlayer open to hosting rival PSBs to survive “permanent and irreversible” disruption
As the UK government begins its BBC Charter Review consultation, the broadcaster has published a 100-page response, urging radical reforms to its independence and funding model.
BBC scoops seven accolades at RTS Television Journalism Awards
BBC’s Steve Rosenberg and Channel 4 News’ Lindsey Hilsum were among the top winners at last night’s Royal Television Society (RTS) Television Journalism Awards 2026.
