Following a complex investigation and more than 70 searches across Italy, police officers of the Operational Center for Cyber Security in Catania, coordinated by the Postal Police Service and for the Cyber Security of Rome, arrested seven people. The operation was a continuation of the Gotha investigation of 2022.
Eight individuals from Catania, Rome, Brescia and abroad were investigated for illegal distribution of television programs and live events from Sky, Dazn, Mediaset, Amazon Prime and Netflix. One of the individuals could not be found for arrest.
Once known as “Hermes Television,” it was later re-branded as “Skynet.” Some of the illegal sites under that umbrella recalled the names of well-known legal platforms: “NOWTV”, “UNITY”, “PLAYTV”, “PLATINUM”, “M&S”, “ENJOY” “MOMY” “HERMES”, “LUCKYSTREAMING”, “SKYNET” and “GOLDRAKE”.
Based on circumstantial evidence, profits gained just during the months of the investigation amounted to about 10 million euros, but it was estimated that the overall damage to the audiovisual industry could exceed 30 million euros per month, considering that the operation shed light on 70% of national illegal streaming, equal to over 900,000 users.
About the law enforcement operation
The law enforcement operation was conducted by the Catania District Prosecutor’s Office, supported by the Catania Cybersecurity Operations Center, coordinated by the Rome Postal Police and Cybersecurity Service.
The Italian Postal Police characterized the operation to be “(at the) summit of the illegal Italian streaming market,” and used a technical infrastructure that identified numerous servers rented from foreign hosting companies, whose management was entrusted to subsidiaries with particular computer skills.
What the investigation uncovered
An in-depth analysis of the seized devices (computers, smartphones, servers) and examination of a large volume of financial flows, revealed the existence of a criminal organization, organized hierarchically, with distinct roles (leader, deputy leader, master, administrator, technician, reseller), and with leadership throughout Italy.
Evasive tactics
To hide from the law enforcement investigations, the operators made use of encrypted messaging applications, fictitious identities and false documents; which were used to register telephone accounts, credit cards, television subscriptions and for server rental.
In addition, the suspects allegedly forced their recipients – numerous resellers spread across Italy – to follow a veritable catalog of rules to evade investigations and tamper with evidence.
According to reporting by La Sicilia, which compared the rules to Fight Club, all payments had to be made in bitcoin. In addition, resellers had to expose their resources to the operators, so that the operators could verify that they were following the rules. Breaking from the rules would result in a permanent ban from the platform.
Why it matters
The methods used by this operation seem like a new chapter in the efforts by pirates to evade detection.
In a prepared statement, DAZN Italia CEO Stefano Azzi remarked that, “The developments of Operation Gotha in 2022 confirm an unequivocal reality: piracy is not a marginal phenomenon, but a deep-rooted and widespread criminal system on a large scale. …The operation revealed that every month 30 million euros are stolen from our industry, equal to 360 million per year, with over 900,000 users potentially involved who could be identified, as is already happening for other operations.
“(The operation) represents a further blow to piracy and the criminal organizations that feed it. It is proof of the effectiveness of the new investigative tools and the constant commitment with which this serious phenomenon is being fought,” remarked Andrea Duilio, CEO of Sky Italia. “The frequency and results of law enforcement actions mark a decisive step in the protection of legality and the protection of thousands of jobs”.
“Piracy continues to erode the value of sports rights, hindering the development and growth of the sector,” continued DAZN Italia’s Azzi.
Further reading
Operation Gotha 2. Press release. September 29, 2025. State Police Anti-crime Center, Rome. Postal Police (Italy)
Operation “Gotha 2”: seven illegal streaming pirates arrested. Press release. September 26, 2025. Polizia di Stato, Ministry of the Interior, Italy
The Code of pirates: “You only pay in bitcoin.” Article. September 30, 2025. La Sicilia.
Illegal IPTV, Operation Gotha 2: Pezzotto gang busted. Payments only in Bitcoin. Article. October 1, 2025. by Fortunato Vadala. Decropto (Italy)
Azzi (DAZN): “Piracy is a crime worth 360 million a year.” Article. September 30, 2025. ANSA.IT
Piracy, operation Gotha 2: Eight arrested for a maxi round of illegal IPTV. Article. September 26, 2025. HD Blog (Italy)
