The fight against pirate IPTV is entering a new phase in France. During the 2026 French Open (Roland-Garros), authorities are testing a faster and more direct system to block illegal online broadcasts. The aim is to prevent pirate services from reorganizing during major live sporting events. Until now, blocks have primarily targeted domain names or websites illegally broadcasting copyrighted content, but this method had a limitation: pirates could quickly change their addresses, create mirrors, or redirect users to new access points. With real-time IP address blocking, the response is intended to be more immediate.
A faster response to illegal flows
The principle involves identifying the servers used to illegally broadcast matches, then requesting their direct blocking by internet service providers. Orange, Free, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom are affected by this type of mechanism, which aims to more quickly interrupt pirate streams, particularly those accessible via IPTV applications, illegal set-top boxes, or subscriptions. For rights holders, every minute counts, especially in live sports, where the value of the content disappears almost as soon as the match ends.
Arcom wants to regain control
Arcom plays a central role in this offensive. The regulator coordinates the fight against illegal broadcasting and has been pushing for several months for more effective tools to counter highly responsive IPTV networks. The test conducted around Roland-Garros is intended to assess the technical robustness of the system before a possible expansion to other major competitions. This development marks a deliberate tightening of the rules. Sports piracy is now treated as a direct economic threat to broadcasters, competition organizers, and the entire professional sports funding chain.
An effective method, but not without risks
IP address blocking is technically more aggressive, but it's not perfect. A single IP address can sometimes host multiple services, some of which are perfectly legitimate. Therefore, if the IP address is imprecise, there's a risk of mistakenly blocking content or platforms that have no connection to piracy. This is the system's main weakness. The faster the blocking, the smaller the margin of error must be. Operators and Arcom will thus have to find a balance between operational efficiency and protecting legitimate services.
The hackers are already prepared to bypass the device
Even with stricter measures, blocking doesn't guarantee the disappearance of illegal IPTV. Pirate networks often have fallback solutions: new IP addresses, alternative servers, redirects, VPNs, or infrastructure located abroad. The Roland-Garros test will therefore also serve to gauge the authorities' ability to keep pace with circumvention efforts.
A strong signal sent to the illegal IPTV market
With this test, France wants to send a strong message: the era of slow and easily circumvented blocks, which have done so much damage to football, may be coming to an end. By targeting streams and servers more directly, the authorities hope to make pirated IPTV services less stable, less user-friendly, and therefore less attractive to users. Roland-Garros 2026 will thus be a strategic testing ground for a new generation of efforts to combat audiovisual piracy. If the system works without too many technical errors, it could become a major tool against the illegal broadcasting of major sporting events in France.
As a reminder, the tournament will take place from May 24th to June 7th.
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