The sports streaming platform DAZN has teamed up with Irdeto to address the misuse of premium content and fight video piracy in sports streaming.
The existing partnership has been extended to include Irdeto Anti-Piracy services, enabling DAZN to strengthen its efforts in keeping its premium content safe from illegal streaming and sharing. Simultaneously, Irdeto has become DAZN’s primary multi-DRM provider.
DAZN notes that its significant growth has been driven by geographical expansion and live sports rights over the past few years, making fighting piracy a top business priority. If unchecked, piracy results in sports losing vital funding globally throughout the value chain, from the world’s top leagues to grassroots clubs, negatively impacting the entire industry.
According to Sandeep Tiku, DAZN Group CTO, “DAZN is committed to creating a global sports streaming service that delivers for fans and partners alike. To do that takes significant investment in acquiring rights and developing technology. The damaging effects of piracy are clear – potentially reducing investment for sports at all levels, exposing fans to privacy and security risks, and funding organized crime. Working with Irdeto, DAZN can more effectively tackle the pirates through enforcement and better use of technology, while educating fans of the risks of accessing pirated content”.
The extended partnership between Irdeto and DAZN will result in a more profound knowledge sharing of the ever-evolving challenges related to the world of live sports streaming. It will allow Irdeto to tailor and evolve Anti-Piracy Services and solutions to address emerging industry issues.
DAZN has used Irdeto’s digital assets management and protection expertise since 2020 when the company integrated Irdeto Control into their technology.
The dedicated anti-piracy team of DAZN works closely with the Irdeto team of experts to counteract piracy through investigation and enforcement operations, injunctions and continuous innovation in subscriber protections. They will continue to act to protect premium content, to back the sports streaming industry as activists in this space and to secure the integrity of the industry fans.
Mark Mulready, VP of Cyber Services at Irdeto, added: “Premium live sports is one of the biggest forms of content driving the OTT live streaming industry, which has made live sports a primary target for piracy. We are very excited about taking our partnership with DAZN to the next level, working together to protect their premium content. Irdeto’s wisdom and insights gained from decades of fighting piracy and cyber threats, coupled with the best technology and DAZN’s team of experts, will be key to shutting down pirates and cybercriminals”.
