Justice Department seizes 400 domains streaming World Cup matches illegally
In brief
- Justice Department seized nearly 400 domains streaming 2026 World Cup matches without authorization on June 26, 2026.
- Federal prosecutors partnered with FIFA, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. to dismantle the global piracy network.
- Piracy infrastructure traced to servers in Peru and Bulgaria.
- Seizure represents fivefold increase from December 2022's Operation Offside, which took down 78 domains.
Coordinated Enforcement Action
Investigators traced the infrastructure behind these piracy operations to servers based in Peru and Bulgaria. The seized domains were rebroadcasting matches in real time without paying rights holders, generating revenue through advertising and subscription fraud.
The enforcement action marks a dramatic escalation from previous efforts. A previous major crackdown in December 2022 during the Qatar World Cup, dubbed Operation Offside, resulted in the seizure of 78 domains. The current action seized nearly 400 domains, a fivefold increase in scope.
Why Now, Why Larger
The 2026 World Cup is being hosted across North America, which gives US federal agencies stronger jurisdictional footing for enforcement. Hosting on US soil amplifies the Justice Department's legal authority to pursue piracy operations targeting the tournament.
Piracy networks have also grown more sophisticated. These are organized operations using dynamic domain rotation, meaning when one domain gets seized, traffic is automatically redirected to a backup. Piracy operators have become adept at using platforms like Telegram, Reddit, and Twitter to distribute new streaming links in real time, making enforcement a cat-and-mouse game.
The scale of the seizure reflects the Justice Department's commitment to protecting broadcast rights—and the broadcast industry's willingness to fund coordinated enforcement. It's a reminder that digital piracy, while persistent, remains subject to traditional law enforcement tools.
