Led by the District Prosecutor’s Office of Catania (Italy) and Italy’s Postal and Cybercrime Police, with multi-national coordination across Europe, North America and Asia, Operation Switch Off was a coordinated law-enforcement action against an industrial-scale network of illegal IPTV services impacting audiences and content markets in Italy and around the world.
The network illegally captured and re-distributed live and on-demand programming from TV platforms that included Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount, Disney+, Mediaset, Sky and DAZN.
The investigation uncovered a structured, hierarchical criminal organization operating at industrial scale, distributing unauthorized pay-tv and on-demand content to millions of users and generating millions of euros in illicit revenue each month. The activity generated significant illicit revenue while undermining legitimate markets, harming the creative economy, and exposing consumers to unreliable services and broader cyber and financial crime risks.
Key results of the operation include:
- Seizure of major illegal IPTV platforms including IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV, and DarkTV
- 31 suspects were linked to an organized crime network
- More than 1,000 resellers shut down in Italy
- More than 125,000 end users blocked in Italy, and millions globally
- Removal of associated websites and Telegram-based sales channels
- In Romania, proEuropaTV was distributing content via six servers located in Romania and in an African country
- A SIM farm using “over 200 phone cards, dozens of smartphones, and numerous credit cards” was found in Naples
How the operation unfolded
The investigation leading to this operation began in response to leads that were obtained by a November 2024 law enforcement operation, also run by the Catania Prosecutor’s Office, called Operation Taken Down. That operation took more than 100 pirate domains out of service and involved law enforcement agencies from across Europe. Forensic analysis of the captured data, using flow analysis and network monitoring, revealed a system of messaging and financial transactions that used cryptocurrencies.
Coordinated enforcement action identified 31 suspects following 29 raids involving over 100 Postal Police officers who conducted searches in 11 Italian cities and 14 targets abroad, with the assistance of police forces in Spain, Romania, Kosovo, the UK, and collaboration with authorities in Canada, India, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.
International coordination was conducted by Eurojust with support from Europol and Interpol. Also supporting the operation was the @ON operational network, a law enforcement initiative organized in 2018 by Europol and law enforcement organizations of several EU Member States.
Why it matters
Operation Switch Off was particularly well-timed, as the XXV Winter Olympic Games were to begin just a week afterward in Italy. Sports programming is considered to be the content genre that’s most widely stolen and redistributed by pirates.
The scale of Operation Switch Off, and Operation Taken Down before it, recalls Operation 404, Brazil’s ongoing anti-piracy law enforcement initiative.
“This case reinforces a core message: large-scale audiovisual piracy is a professional, profit-driven criminal activity,” said officials of the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA). “Addressing it effectively requires real-time, cross-border enforcement, backed by legal and operational tools that match the speed and scale of the harm.”
“Operation Switch Off demonstrates the power of coordinated global action in confronting large-scale piracy networks that damage the entire sports ecosystem,” said Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer at DAZN. “Illegal IPTV services don’t just steal from rights holders – they undermine investment in the sports and entertainment audiences love, and they expose fans to fraud and cyber threats. DAZN is proud to work alongside ACE and law enforcement partners worldwide to protect the value of sports, ensure a safe viewing experience, and help preserve the integrity of the legitimate marketplace.”
Further reading
Catania: A syndicate dedicated to audiovisual piracy in Italy and abroad has been dismantled. Article. January 29, 2026. Agenzia Nova (Italy)
ACE applauds coordinated global law-enforcement action against industrial-scale IPTV ring. Press release. January 29, 2026. ACE (Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Motion Picture Association)
Anti-piracy organization applauds Italy’s part in Europ-wide “Operation Taken Down.” Article. December 12, 2024. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
Operation Taken Down: Further details emerge about 2024 Europe-wide pirate sting. Article. January 20, 2025. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor
Note: This article quoted or paraphrased from the above sources
