Several major European broadcasters and prominent soccer leagues have jointly written a letter to Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of a social media platform referred to as X in the document, urging for stronger action against the spread of illegal content. The letter, signed by 14 entities including the Premier League, Spanish league, Bundesliga, Italian league, DAZN, Sky, beIN, DirecTV, and Movistar Plus+, as well as soccer governing bodies UEFA and CONMEBOL, expressed dissatisfaction with X’s handling of unlawful content. They highlighted the platform’s inadequate response to removing unauthorized live content, making their efforts to combat piracy inefficient.
The letter, acquired by The Associated Press from an anonymous source due to confidentiality concerns, criticized X’s reduced content moderation resources and a perceived lack of necessary features to combat piracy. The signatories emphasized a growing belief among pirates that they can freely stream illegal content on X without consequences, leading to a surge in unauthorized live streaming of games and an “absolutely untenable” situation on the platform.
Expressing grave concern about the prevailing circumstances, the letter called on X to take immediate action to become a responsible platform that upholds intellectual property rights and fulfills its obligations under the Digital Services Act. X, formerly known as Twitter, did not provide an immediate response to the AP’s request for comment regarding the letter. The joint statement from the broadcasters and leagues highlighted the pressing need for X to address these issues promptly, signaling a unified stance against online piracy within the sports broadcasting industry.
