Source: REUTERS/Albert Gea
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, the piracy website Roja Directa has been ordered to pay La Liga rights holder Mediapro Group €31.6 million. Recently, the second commercial court of La Coruña in Spain ruled that Roja Directa was fined for illegally broadcasting La Liga matches during the 2014-2015 season. The compensation amount was calculated based on the economic cost that the website should have paid to Grup Mediapro to obtain the signal. The site infringed intellectual property rights by providing live broadcasts of the Spanish league and other pay-TV sports content to users. A judicial expert report from 2022 indicated that a single account of the company generated over €11 million in revenue. Meanwhile, the operator and sole manager of the piracy website is also facing criminal charges brought by La Liga officials for continually infringing intellectual property rights and profiting from this illegal activity, with a demand for a six-year prison sentence for the relevant personnel. According to the prosecutors’ conclusions, given the profits gained and the losses caused, the illegal site and its managers should post a €4 million bond to cover future liabilities.