- Historic ruling: Roja Directa must pay 31,6 million euros to Mediapro for illegally broadcasting LaLiga matches.
- Financial impact: Reports show that the website earns millions in revenue through advertising and commissions.
- Legal consequences: Igor Seoane, administrator of Roja Directa, could face up to 6 years in prison.
- Fight against piracy: LaLiga and Mediapro step up legal action to protect audiovisual rights.
Direct red, the well-known website for accessing illegal sports content, has been sentenced by the Commercial Court number 2 of A Coruña to pay a historic compensation of 31,6 millones de euros to the audiovisual group Mediapro. This ruling comes after almost a decade of litigation over the unauthorized broadcast of football games and marks a milestone in the fight against digital piracy in Spain.
Puerto 80 Projects, owner of Roja Directa, and its sole administrator, Igor Seoane, have been declared responsible for illegal activities that violated the intellectual property rights of LaLiga during the 2014/2015 season. Of the total compensation, 15,8 millones de euros must be paid directly by Seoane as jointly liable.
Calculation of compensation and closure in Spain
The calculation of the compensation was based on the potential income that Mediapro would have obtained if the matches had been broadcast legally. In addition, judicial reports from 2022 revealed that Roja Directa generated millions in income through advertising and commissions for redirecting traffic to websites sports bets, even surpassing the 11 millones de euros in a single bank account of the company.
Despite the closure of the website in Spain, Puerto 80 continues to operate from abroad, which has motivated the authorities to intensify their fight against piracy. This case not only affects football, but has also affected other sports broadcasts such as tennis, basketball y boxing.
Criminal implications for Igor Seoane
In addition to the civil proceedings, the administrator of the website faces a criminal trial brought by Mediapro and LaLiga. The prosecutor is demanding a sentence of 4 years in jail, while the plaintiffs increase the request to 6 yearsA bail of 100 was also set. 4 millones de euros to cover possible future legal liabilities, given the enormous economic impact of illicit activities.
The ruling not only condemns illegal broadcasts of matches, but also reinforces the message that profiting from illegal activities has serious consequences. According to the president of LaLiga, Javier TebasThis resolution is an important victory in the fight against audiovisual fraud.
Million-dollar losses for professional football
The impact of the piracy It is not limited to audiovisual rights. According to LaLiga data, digital fraud generates annual losses of between 600 and 700 million euros for professional football in Spain. This has led institutions to develop advanced technological tools to identify and eliminate these illegal practices.
Technology companies like Google and Cloudflare have also been singled out by LaLiga as indirect facilitators of piracy through their platforms. In Tebas' opinion, these companies must assume greater responsibility in combating unauthorized access to protected content.
A precedent in the fight against digital piracy
The conviction of Roja Directa sets a legal precedent that could be extended to other cases of piracy in Spain and internationally. Similar platforms, such as Kodi or Acestream, could face more rigorous scrutiny in the future. According to legal experts, this ruling could cause a waterfall effect, deterring other illegal website administrators from continuing their activities.
Furthermore, the case underlines the seriousness of the problem in Spain, which is among the top three countries in Europe with the highest incidence of digital piracyThe audiovisual and sports industry hopes that this ruling will encourage new more effective measures to protect copyright and secure multi-billion dollar investments in broadcasting rights.
The Roja Directa case represents a firm step towards eradicating digital piracy in Spain, demonstrating that justice can and must prevail against those who profit illegally at the expense of the industry and consumers.
I'm Alberto Navarro and I'm passionate about everything related to technology, from cutting-edge gadgets to software and video games of all kinds. My interest in digital began with video games and continued in the world of digital marketing. I have been writing about the digital world on different platforms since 2019, sharing the latest news in the sector. I also try to write in an original way so that you can stay up to date while having fun.
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