CANAL+ and LaLiga sign historic agreement to combat sports content piracy
Today CANAL+ and LaLiga announced a pioneering strategic agreement to fight piracy, covering roughly 50 countries across Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti.
It ranks among the most ambitious collaborations ever struck between a global broadcaster and a major sports competition, taking on one of the biggest threats facing the sports industry today.
Paris – Madrid, 11 September 2026: Through this unprecedented initiative, CANAL+ and LaLiga will pool their expertise, technologies and enforcement capabilities in the fight against piracy. Both already rank among the most committed and proactive players in this field. Now the two partners are raising their game to protect the sports ecosystem and its funding model, while continuing to deliver exceptional football experiences to fans.
The collaboration lets the two organisations share information, coordinate enforcement strategies and speed up action against illegal distribution networks operating across multiple regions.
Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, said: "Piracy represents one of the biggest challenges facing the future of sport, and it is a problem that no organisation can confront alone, which is why partnerships like this are so important. By joining forces with CANAL+, we are bringing together technology, information and operational expertise to protect the value of our competitions, defend the investments made by broadcasters and clubs, and ultimately safeguard the future of football."
Maxime Saada, Chief Executive Officer of CANAL+, said: "The unprecedented scope of this partnership reflects the strategic importance that CANAL+ attaches to combating content piracy, and I am particularly pleased that our group shares a common conviction with LaLiga, which is one of the sports leagues most committed to fighting piracy, namely that piracy undermines the entire sports ecosystem. By combining our expertise in combating piracy, we are significantly strengthening our ability to take action."
He continued: "All actors in the sports industry, without exception, and more broadly all stakeholders in the audiovisual and creative industries, must play a role in tackling the scourge of piracy. CANAL+ takes its responsibility fully, and this partnership is a call to all actors in the sector to do the same."
Protecting the value of sports content to secure the future of sport
Every illegal broadcast of a football match strips the entire sports ecosystem, amateur and professional alike, of vital resources it needs to develop, from funding youth academies and supporting clubs of all sizes to investing in the audiovisual production that brings the world's greatest sporting competitions to the screen.
Piracy is no longer merely an issue relating to broadcasting and publishing rights. It has become one of the biggest threats to the sustainability of sport, undermining investment, innovation and the long-term value of audiovisual rights.
With sport at the heart of both growth strategies, CANAL+ and LaLiga are determined to intensify their fight against piracy and better protect the sports content enjoyed by CANAL+ subscribers and LaLiga fans alike.
A historic agreement that strengthens the long-standing relationship between CANAL+ and LaLiga
CANAL+, currently present in around 70 countries, and LaLiga have built a long-standing relationship through the distribution of Spanish football content. This partnership began in France, then gradually expanded across Europe, Africa and Haiti, growing in parallel with the channel's international expansion and the global popularity of LaLiga competitions.
The new strategic alliance marks a natural evolution of that relationship, widening the collaboration beyond content distribution to include joint work on protecting the long-term value of sports rights and supporting a sustainable future for the industry.
Protecting fans and consumers: a shared commitment between CANAL+ and LaLiga
For CANAL+ and LaLiga, protecting sports content also means protecting fans and consumers. Illegal services expose users to very real risks, including the theft of personal data, malware, fraud and access to unregulated content. By strengthening their joint fight against piracy, the two partners aim to give fans safe, reliable and high-quality access to one of the most followed football competitions in the world.
Beyond that, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to a healthier digital ecosystem, one in which innovation, investment and creativity are rewarded, and in which fans can enjoy premium sports content with confidence.
About LaLiga
LaLiga is the largest football ecosystem in the world. It is a private sports organisation made up of 20 public limited sports companies/clubs of LaLiga EA Sports, and 22 clubs in LaLiga Hypermotion, and it is the body responsible for organising the national professional football competitions. LaLiga has more than 268 million followers around the world across 16 social media platforms, in 20 different languages. It is headquartered in Madrid (Spain), and has the most extensive international network of any sports organisation, being present in 35 countries through 8 offices. LaLiga carries out its social work through its foundation, and it was the first professional football league in the world to establish a league for footballers with intellectual disabilities, called: LaLiga Genuine Movistar.
About CANAL+
CANAL+ is a global media and entertainment company with a leading position in Europe and Africa. More than 40 million subscribers enjoy the CANAL+ entertainment platform, which brings together the best local and international films, live sport, television series, and much more. CANAL+ operates in more than 70 countries and has around 15,000 employees.
CANAL+ operates across the entire audiovisual value chain, including production, broadcasting, distribution and aggregation. In addition to pay-television operations and online streaming services in Europe, Africa and Asia, the consolidated group includes:
MultiChoice Group, the leading entertainment platform in Africa; STUDIOCANAL, the leading film and television studio in Europe, which has global production and distribution capabilities; Dailymotion, a major international video platform supported by proprietary and advanced technology for video delivery, advertising and monetisation; and CANAL+ Distribution, a production and distribution company specialising in the creation and distribution of diverse content and channels; alongside telecommunications services through CANAL+ Telecom Africa in Africa and CANAL+ Telecom in the French overseas territories and regions.
CANAL+ also holds minority stakes in Viaplay, the leading entertainment services provider in the Nordic countries; Viu, one of the leading over-the-top (OTT) online streaming service providers in Southeast Asia; and UGC, one of the leading French cinema groups.
