Irish anti-piracy specialist Stegawave has launched a real-time forensic watermarking platform aimed at tackling illegal redistribution of live sports streams.
The Dublin-based company said its technology uses a proprietary watermarking algorithm to embed invisible patterns into live video feeds, allowing piracy sources to be identified in real time and shut down within minutes.
Stegawave said the platform integrates with existing streaming workflows and distribution systems without requiring changes to a rights holder’s infrastructure. Customers can also choose to send alternative content or messaging to illegal stream destinations.
Live sports piracy continues to place significant pressure on broadcasters and rights owners, particularly smaller and mid-tier operators whose subscription revenues can be directly affected by unauthorised IPTV redistribution.
Stegawave said the launch follows a deployment with Clubber TV, where the technology was used across live sports broadcasts to detect pirated streams and identify the subscriber accounts responsible for the leaks.
According to the company, the system delivered a 100% detection rate across all streams monitored. It added that because multiple illegal IPTV services often rely on the same compromised account, blocking a single source was able to disable several pirate streams at once.
Jimmy Doyle, chief executive of Clubber, said piracy represents a major threat to the sustainability of sports broadcasting, including grassroots coverage, and described the technology as potentially game-changing following investment in rights.
Sean Fahey, chief executive of Stegawave, added the work with Clubber had helped improve the platform and add new features, adding that rising illegal streaming globally was creating strong momentum behind anti-piracy measures.
The technology is now available to streaming platforms, sports broadcasters and rights holders looking to protect premium content and support pay-per-view and subscription revenues.
The company will demonstrate the technology at NAB Show in Las Vegas later this month.
