Windhoek: MultiChoice Namibia (MCN)'s DStv and SuperSport operations will participate in a new anti-piracy agreement signed between CANAL+ and LALIGA, as reported in a recent interview with the company.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the strategic agreement was announced earlier this week by CANAL+ and LALIGA. It encompasses nearly 50 countries across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Haiti, with the goal of combating sports content piracy. The agreement, signed at a group level between LALIGA and CANAL+, extends to all subsidiaries, including the MultiChoice Group and DStv.

MCN highlighted that this group agreement strengthens the ability of LALIGA and CANAL+ to combat piracy and better protect the value of live sports content. The company noted that online piracy is rapidly spreading across the region as high-speed internet coverage expands, impacting all broadcasters and the wider regional audiovisual industry.

MCN pointed out that piracy is not just a business concern; it affects digital security, employment in cultural and creative industries, and government tax revenues. IP and DNS blocking of websites distributing illegal content is one tool used to combat piracy, already implemented in Togo, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, and several European countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and France. However, Namibia currently lacks a legal framework enabling intellectual property and domain name system blocking.

CANAL+ CEO Maxime Saada emphasized the importance of the partnership in a statement, noting that piracy undermines the entire sports ecosystem and that the collaboration significantly enhances their ability to take action. LALIGA President Javier Tebas added that no single organization can tackle piracy alone, and by joining forces with CANAL+, they aim to protect the value of competitions and safeguard the future of football.