UEFA has become the first exclusive sports rights-holder to join the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), deepening cross-sector efforts to disrupt illegal live streaming worldwide.
The move positions UEFA and UC3 – the body commercialising UEFA club competition rights – at the forefront of coordinated global enforcement.
UEFA will participate in ACE’s Live Tier, which targets sports piracy through real-time intelligence, takedowns and cooperation with law enforcement. ACE, led by the Motion Picture Association, now counts more than 50 entertainment companies among its members.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s executive director of marketing, said the partnership expands UEFA’s enforcement capabilities and leverages ACE’s tools to disrupt illegal services. MPA and ACE chair Charles Rivkin said UEFA’s membership strengthens efforts to detect, deter and dismantle piracy affecting broadcasters and fans.
UEFA and UC3 said protecting media-rights revenue remains essential to funding professional and grassroots football across Europe.
