Italy police bust illegal TV streaming hubs ahead of 2026 World Cup

Italy's finance police said on Friday they uncovered three illegal broadband TV distribution hubs in Crotone, in the southern Calabria region. Four Italian nationals were identified as suspects, and authorities seized assets worth about €650,000. The sting is part of broader efforts to fight digital piracy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The network sold pirated subscriptions that granted access to paid platforms including Sky, DAZN, Netflix and Disney+, and investigators identified at least 2,769 users connected to the scheme. The World Cup opened on Thursday, underscoring why authorities are intensifying enforcement against pirate services. Four suspects, all Italian, were reported for copyright violations and self-laundering. Subscriptions were priced between €10 and €40, including customer services. Investigators described the illicit proceeds as being reinvested into the legal economy and sometimes funneled through cryptocurrencies to obscure their origin. Users faced administrative fines ranging from €154 to €5,000, while the police warned of the case illustrating the ongoing reach of piracy schemes even as major events attract global audiences.