February 23 – UEFA has secured a significant anti-piracy ruling in India aimed at curbing large-scale illegal streaming of the UEFA Champions League.
In cooperation with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and working alongside UC3 – UEFA’s jointly owned commercial rights holder – the governing body has obtained a copyright-based order from the Delhi High Court granting dynamic blocking powers. The ruling covers 79 domains said to be responsible for around two billion visits annually.
Crucially, the order allows UEFA to request the blocking of additional mirror or proxy sites that emerge over the remainder of the season, without having to return to court each time.
UEFA say that implementation in India will be carried out via internet service providers and domain-level intermediaries, with measures that can extend to ‘global domain suspension mechanisms where applicable’.
Traditional blocking orders usually target a fixed list of websites, only for operators to resurface under new URLs within hours. The Delhi ruling enables a more fluid response, designed to keep pace with the scale and speed at which illegal Champions League streams proliferate – particularly during high-profile knockout ties where the demand to dodge broadcast fees is heightened still.
Industry data cited in the proceedings suggests the targeted network of domains attracts billions of visits per year, underlining the commercial stakes being exploited. UEFA recognise how piracy erodes subscription revenues and weakens the value of rights deals that underpin club distributions.
This recognition has prompted UEFA and UC3 to step up enforcement efforts in recent seasons, combining court action with technological tracking and real-time takedown operations. The India order is viewed internally as a strategic foothold in a market that carries both a large digital audience and global spillover impact.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Managing Director of UC3, said: “Piracy is not a victimless activity – it fuels organised criminal networks and diverts essential revenues away from the game.
“These orders represent a clear step forward: dynamic blocking strengthens the protection of our global family of broadcast partners, preserving the value they deliver to fans and enabling continued investment throughout the European football ecosystem.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]