VPNs ordered to block illegal sports streaming sites in France

Watching top-level sports competitions in France without a paid subscription is set to become much harder, following a landmark ruling by the Paris Judicial Court on May 15.

Five of the leading VPN providers – NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost and Surfshark were ordered to block access to 203 domains linked to illegal sports streaming following the joint case launched by broadcaster Canal+ and French football league Ligue 1.

The ruling was described in a statement to The Connexion as “misguided and ineffective” by Internet infrastructure body i2Coalition, which manages the international VPN Trust Initiative (VTI).

It is the first time VPNs have been directly targeted by such court orders in France.

“The decision sends a strong signal about the responsibility of VPNs, described for the first time as technical intermediaries, in the illegal distribution of sports content,” said Canal+ in a statement. 

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and its broadcast arm, LFP Media, called the ruling “a major breakthrough in the fight against piracy”.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are paid services used to bypass geographical and subscription restrictions. They are typically cheaper than a TV subscription. 

For instance, the limited number of Premier League football matches broadcast in France can lead fans to search for more on pirate websites that retransmit matches broadcast by rights holders in other countries.

Until now, enforcement of broadcast rights has focused on DNS providers, content delivery networks and Internet service providers. 

Canal+ said this latest ruling creates “a legal precedent that fully aligns with our strategy to hold all technical intermediaries accountable in the fight against audiovisual piracy”.

57% of users engaging in illegal streaming used a VPN in 2023, according to media regulator Arcom.

Around 29% of all internet users in France used a VPN last year, often for privacy or to access content abroad.

This court order represents a turning point: for the first time, the infrastructure used to access illegal content is being targeted rather than just the content itself.

Crackdown on illegal football streaming - including Premier League

The blocked sites are known to stream events including the UEFA Champions League, the English Premier League, and France’s Top 14 rugby – for which Canal+ holds the rights – as well as Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, organised by the LFP. 

The ruling applies across France and its overseas territories, and will remain in place until the end of the current season.

However the LFP says it is already preparing new legal actions to protect future football seasons.

‘Measure is certain to fail’

“Infrastructure-level blocking has consistently failed to meaningfully curb piracy while causing overreach and other unintended but foreseeable consequences,” said the i2Coalition.

“VPNs do not host or promote illegal content,” it said. “This decision risks widespread collateral damage to legitimate users and sets a dangerous precedent.”

“This selective approach is certain to fail, as it targets symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of piracy.”

Industry observers had previously warned that VPNs could leave the French market should they be required to block pirate websites, and while this has not been confirmed, the i2Coalition points out that it is what happened in Italy and India in response to similar measures.