Serie A has launched its “#Stopiracy – Piracy Kills Football” campaign for the fifth consecutive season, aiming to raise awareness against audiovisual piracy. Starting from the first and second matchdays of the upcoming league season, the message across all stadiums will be loud and clear: no to piracy.
To tackle the illegal streaming of live sports content and to inform users about the associated risks, a promotional video against piracy will be shown on large screens before each game. Additionally, TV clips dedicated to this initiative will air during the first two matchdays.
Luigi De Siervo, the CEO of Lega Serie A, emphasized the campaign’s importance, stating that piracy, often run by organized crime, results in over 300 million euros in losses annually for clubs, the Italian football ecosystem, broadcasters, and anyone involved in the industry. He further pointed out that pirates not only rob football clubs but also deceive their customers by stealing their data, photos, and videos. This ultimately harms dedicated fans who pay for subscriptions to support their favorite teams.
“We are fighting a crucial battle for the survival of the football system and the entire Italian audiovisual sector,” De Siervo continued. He called for support from true fans, journalists, and sports and political authorities to combat this phenomenon that threatens the very essence of football.
The issue of piracy is not confined to football alone, and the figures from Italy in 2023 are alarming. According to a Fapav/Ipsos survey, nearly 40% of Italians have illegally accessed films, series, and live sports at least once. The stats show a staggering 319 million piracy incidents among the adult population, with a potential economic damage amounting to 767 million euros for the audiovisual content industry. Furthermore, around 11,200 jobs could be at stake due to audiovisual piracy.
Despite this, awareness is growing; 79% of pirates are aware that their actions are illegal, and 53% believe that their piracy does not cause significant harm. Notably, 45% of those who encountered blocked piracy sites have turned to legal sources for content.