Canal+ and LaLiga Sign Anti-Piracy Pact in 50 Markets

In Short

• CANAL+ and LaLiga signed an anti-piracy agreement on September 11, 2026.
• The deal covers nearly 50 countries where CANAL+ broadcasts LaLiga, including sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti.
• They plan to combine anti-piracy technology, run joint investigations, and coordinate lobbying.

What Happened

CANAL+ and LaLiga have agreed to work together to reduce piracy across almost 50 countries. CANAL+ (the French pay TV group and streamer) carries LaLiga matches in several regions, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

The partnership focuses on stopping illegal streaming, which is when people watch paid sports broadcasts through unauthorised websites, apps, or IPTV services. IPTV is internet-based TV, and it can be legal, but many pirate networks sell illegal access packaged to look legitimate.

Both organisations said they will combine their anti-piracy technology. They also plan to conduct joint investigations, meaning they will coordinate evidence gathering and enforcement actions against piracy operators. The deal also includes lobbying, which is formal outreach to regulators and policymakers to push for stronger enforcement and faster takedowns.

CANAL+ CEO Maxime Saada said the next step is for both teams to work jointly. LaLiga president Javier Tebas said the agreement is meant to improve responses to criminal networks that frequently change tactics.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Why It Matters

For African viewers, live sport is one of the biggest reasons people pay for TV bundles and streaming subscriptions. Piracy undercuts that business model, especially when illegal streams spread quickly on social media and messaging apps.

For LaLiga, the stakes are direct. Tebas said piracy affects clubs’ core income from audiovisual rights. LaLiga also reported that broadcast income at Spanish professional clubs fell 5.2% to 1.43 billion euros in the 2024/25 season, even as commercial revenue rose.

For CANAL+, the agreement signals more coordinated enforcement in the markets where it holds rights. That could mean more takedown requests, more investigations into resellers, and tighter pressure on piracy infrastructure, like hosting providers and streaming portals.

The deal also suggests rights holders may increasingly treat piracy as a cross-border operations problem, not a country-by-country issue.