The Justice Department said Friday it has seized nearly 400 internet domains that were illegally streaming FIFA World Cup matches, marking one of the largest anti-piracy enforcement actions tied to the tournament as the U.S., Canada and Mexico host the competition.
Authorities said the websites were offering unauthorized real-time broadcasts of matches in violation of U.S. copyright law.
The domains were identified with assistance from FIFA and several major media companies, including NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. According to a DOJ press release, Homeland Security Investigations agents confirmed the sites were actively broadcasting live World Cup matches without an authorization before obtaining seizure warrants in federal court in Virginia.
The takedowns were part of “Operation Offsides,” a coordinated international effort targeting online piracy networks. U.S. officials said authorities also targeted servers and domains in Peru and Bulgaria, while additional enforcement actions took place in Croatia, Romania, Poland and Colombia with the assistance of international partners.
“We have seized hundreds of domains, used to illegally stream World Cup matches for profit, to disrupt the international networks that profit from the global popularity of the World Cup,” Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva said in a statement.
