In a report published this month, French telecoms regulator Arcom highlights the many challenges faced by those combating online piracy, particularly live sporting events.
Arcom reports big plans for fighting piracy in 2026 but begins by reviewing progress since 2009 when France launched its controversial ‘three strikes’ model to tackle once-dominant peer-to-peer file-sharing.
Citing an 80% decrease in P2P use over the past 16 years, and the 75% of ‘first warning’ notice recipients who don’t go on to receive a second, Arcom says that the impact of the French system on behavior “is undeniable.” Arcom further reports that the overall audience for illicit services in France “is now at the lowest level ever measured,” down 35% between 2021 and 2025, supported by blocking measures against …
In a report published this month, French telecoms regulator Arcom highlights the many challenges faced by those combating online piracy, particularly live sporting events.
Arcom reports big plans for fighting piracy in 2026 but begins by reviewing progress since 2009 when France launched its controversial ‘three strikes’ model to tackle once-dominant peer-to-peer file-sharing.
Citing an 80% decrease in P2P use over the past 16 years, and the 75% of ‘first warning’ notice recipients who don’t go on to receive a second, Arcom says that the impact of the French system on behavior “is undeniable.” Arcom further reports that the overall audience for illicit services in France “is now at the lowest level ever measured,” down 35% between 2021 and 2025, supported by blocking measures against 13,000 domains.
Existing Systems No Longer Effective
With the success of existing anti-piracy measures strictly confined to the past, few are given any chance of success moving forward. Internet users quickly move to new technologies and as a result, better tools are needed to mitigate piracy. Despite best efforts, Arcom says that online piracy “remains at worrying levels, even today.”
Loss of revenue for rights holders is now estimated at €1.5 billion, or 12% of the legal audiovisual market, a figure that doesn’t include blocking costs incurred by ISPs and sports rightsholders. Nor does it include Arcom’s annual anti-piracy expenses of approximately €2.2 million and the estimated €400 million reduction in state revenue attributable to non-payment of various taxes.
“In this context, the tools devised by legislators, while initially effective, are now proving insufficient to guarantee the effectiveness of the fight against piracy in the face of cyclical changes in illicit consumption patterns, which have continually adapted to government responses,” the regulator reports.
Meeting the Demands of Live Sports Blocking
The first focus of Arcom’s plan for 2026 and beyond are the demands of live sports broadcasters. Through simplification and automation of existing blocking systems, and revising its control to be more flexible and responsive, Arcom believes it has the right formula to move forward.
Inspired by models in place in the UK and Italy, the plan is to establish an automated, dynamic, real-time blocking system, under Arcom’s control, to satisfy the urgent need to protect live broadcasts.
Simplification and Automation
Under the current system, manual verification and preparation of official reports can take several working days, compared to the proposed system in which it’s envisioned that blocking would be implemented in real time, or at least, within “timeframes compatible with the duration of sports transmissions.”
Automation is also expected to return significant improvements in blocking volumes. Right now, IP address blocking amounts to a few hundred requests per week, whereas an automated system is expected to process thousands while increasing blocking effectiveness against pirates who rapidly change their IP addresses.
Within this framework, Arcom sees its role shifting; the current requirement for systematic verification of blocking requests against each domain would be replaced by Arcom monitoring rights holders’ detection systems and general monitoring of the quality of submitted complaints.
Intermediaries: Carrots and Sticks
Arcom recognizes a need to “facilitate the actions of intermediaries” by maintaining an up-to-date list of pirate sites and services subject to blocking and improving the system so that new services can be added to boost effectiveness. It’s hoped that sharing the list with third parties will encourage a broader range of intermediaries to engage in the process voluntarily.
“Alternative DNS providers and VPNs, whose misuse for illicit purposes affects 66% of illicit consumers, are key partners. Beyond these players, the entire digital ecosystem must be involved in the fight against piracy: hosting providers, content delivery networks (CDNs), and online stores,” Arcom notes.
If intermediaries fail to comply with their legal obligations, granting Arcom “coercive power” would “strengthen the authority’s credibility in the digital space,” the regulator notes.
In the event that DNS providers and VPN companies view blocking as a marketing tool for their products, Arcom says that should be handled under laws regulating commercial influence and misuse of social media.
Legal Amendments Required But Arcom Will Press Ahead
Arcom’s proposals are reliant on changes to the existing legal framework, as outlined in the draft law on the organization, management, and financing of professional sport. Nevertheless, Arcom is already working with ISPs and sports rightsholders in anticipation of a green light during the next six months.
“All stakeholders (ISPs, sports rights holders and Arcom) are preparing for operational implementation no later than the end of the first half of 2026,” Arcom reports.
Arcom’s report, ‘The Challenges and Various Tools For Combating Piracy in the Cultural and Sporting Sectors’ is available here (pdf, French)