Study: €500m hit in French TV piracy
November 20, 2023
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
Illegal viewing is estimated to account for €500 million in revenue loss a year for French thematic channels.
Trade body A.C.C.e.S suggest that some 5.1 per cent of the population use illegal streaming platforms and IP boxes to access thematic content. This represents a loss of €63 per year, per individual, according to the study released by NPA Conseil.
Live sport retransmissions are particularly targeted, the global losses for the sport sector are said to amount to €1billion each year. In 2018, French sport channels created an intellectual property protection body, Association des protections des programmes de sport (APPS). “Combating piracy is the best way to earn money,” states Xavier Spender, its president.
In addition to pay-TV channels, the association also includes FTA channels such as TF1 and France Télévisions.