On May 6, 2026, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and DAZN announced a legal victory in their fight against content theft, following a court decision granting a blocking injunction against livetv.sx, the largest illegal sports piracy website in Germany.
Active for more than 13 years, livetv.sx was estimated to account for a significant majority of illegal sports streaming consumption across the German-speaking region of Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
The Regional Court of Cologne (Köln) determined that livetv.sx was infringing upon “the plaintiff’s exclusive right to use,” and that blocking measures were appropriate. Livetv.sx made a sophisticated effort to evade enforcement through non-compliant hosting providers, content delivery networks, and registrars. Further legal steps against related mirror domains are currently being assessed.
The case was pursued through CUII, Die Clearingstelle Urheberrecht im Internet, (Germany’s clearing house for internet piracy), with the DFL and DAZN jointly contributing to the proceedings, including the provision of data and analysis to support the legal action.
“This decision is of great significance for the protection of rights, an area in which the Bundesliga has invested heavily and implemented comprehensive measures for many years,” said Steffen Merkel, CEO of the DFL. “Consequently, we can now take more effective action than ever before against illegal streaming networks, in collaboration with international organisations such as CUII, law enforcement authorities, and our partners. We thank all parties involved for their close cooperation and determined action in this case.”
According to CUII documents, “a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a representative random sample reveal(ed) that the volume of lawful content (was) negligible. Based on a confidence level of 95.5%, the proportion of unlawful content among the relevant content of the (Web site) lies between 85.28% and 96.72%.”
Why it matters
The ruling marks a meaningful milestone in tackling large-scale, organised sports piracy in Germany and underlines the joint commitment of the DFL and DAZN to protect sports rights holders, partners, and fans from the significant risk and damage caused by this criminal activity.
The outcome underscores the importance of collaboration between platforms, leagues, and enforcement bodies to disrupt illegal streaming operations and send a clear signal that piracy will not be tolerated.
Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer of DAZN Group added that “This court decision is a turning point in the fight against content theft in Germany. Livetv.sx has operated at scale for more than a decade, undermining rights holders and the wider sports ecosystem. By working through CUII and collaborating with partners such as the DFL, DAZN is demonstrating that coordinated enforcement can deliver meaningful results. This ruling protects the value of sport and creates a fairer, more sustainable market.”
Further reading
Information regarding the implementation of a DNS block following judicial procedings. Legal backgrounder. April 22, 2026. CUII, Die Clearingstelle Urheberrecht im Internet (Germany’s clearing house for internet piracy)
DFL and DAZN secure major anti-piracy victory with court-ordered blocking of livetv.sx website in Germany. Press release. May 6, 2026. Released simultaneously by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and DAZN.
