The Civil Guard dismantles Cristal Azul, a pirate streaming channel that offered paid football, causing million-dollar losses
The Civil Guard has dismantled Cristal Azulconsidered the most important pirate streaming channel in Spain. This illegal service offered first and second division football matches for free to around 78,000 users, causing economic damage of more than 42 million euros.
As reported by the EFE agency, the operation, dubbed ‘Blue Corsair’, It began after a complaint from LaLiga and Movistar. The investigation identified the alleged perpetrator, a 37-year-old man, and culminated in the elimination of the channel and its technological infrastructure.
Cristal Azul: the fraud behind free football
The channel works through KODIa multimedia player that, through extensions developed by third parties, allowed paid sporting events to be broadcast without authorization. The content It was distributed mainly on Telegramfrom where users accessed matches protected by copyright at no cost. You may remember the threat of blocking that hung over Telegram in Spain a few months ago, initiated by illicit distribution of content protected by copyright. This could be the germ of that blockade which, fortunately, came to nothing.
The Technological Research Team (EDITE) of the Civil Guard traced the source code of the extension and the pseudonyms used, managing to identify the person responsible. After cross-checking information at police bases, the agents confirmed his responsibility and investigated him for a crime against the market and consumers.
In addition to the losses for rights holders, services such as Cristal Azul put the safety of users at risk by exposing them to possible legal sanctions and the installation of malware on their devices. Fines for watching pirated football can reach thousands of euros, depending on the circumstances.
For those looking for legal alternatives, there are various options to enjoy soccer games without risks. At Andro4all we have a guide in which we tell you where to watch the cheapest football this season, with offers adjusted to different budgets.
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