It was a deal that was hard to pass up. An individual known as “The Green Engineer” (El Inginiero Verde) was charging just €80 per year for full access to Spain’s LaLiga football and other paid programming from Telefonica’s Movistar+ TV service.
Links with illegal access to the complete package of Movistar+ Completa+ full world TV were distributed via Telegram. This access was in violation of Spanish intellectual property protections. Local reports estimated that the pirate had received payments totaling as much as 230,000 euros.
ElEconomista reported that the defendant had been subject to a suspended four year sentence for a previous piracy offense.
The Green Engineer himself was sentenced by the Criminal Section of the Court of First Instance of Vitoria-Gasteiz, to two years imprisonment plus a daily fee of six euros for 15 months; plus a payment of €100,000 to Telefonica beginning with a €20,000 before February 26 and continuing for two years at €3,333 per month. The defendant must also serve 198 days of community service. This sentence superceded the terms of the previous sentence.
Why it matters
Spain has moved to a new penalty phase for media piracy. Just a few weeks prior to this sentencing, the individuals behind another piracy case – for servicio-iptv and other piracy sites – were given sentences of as much as three-years in prison.
Further reading
Movistar+ wins a trial for ‘pirate football’ broadcast through Telegram links. Article. February 2, 2026. by Antonio Lorenzo. ElEconomista
Movistar knocks down a pirate Telegram network to watch football: it charged 80 euros a year for a full subscription. Article February 2, 2026. by Pablo Hernando. La Razón
He sold links to watch football for 80 euros. Now the Justice has said that it will have to pay more than 100,000 euros to Movistar Plus+. Article. February 2, 2026. by Noelia Hontoria. Xataka Movil
Spain: Mandatory prison of up to three years for Servicio-IPTV pirates. Harshest penalty yet. Article. January 20, 2026. by Steven Hawley. Piracy Monitor.
