European authorities crack down on illegal streaming networks | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Officials said they dismantled nine organized crime groups and removed more than 27,000 URLs hosting live sports and other copyrighted media during a seven-month operation.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/europol-piracy-streaming-crackdown-operation-kratos2\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"European authorities crack down on illegal streaming networks\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Officials said they dismantled nine organized crime groups and removed more than 27,000 URLs hosting live sports and other copyrighted media during a seven-month operation.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/europol-piracy-streaming-crackdown-operation-kratos2\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" 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<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"26.102990033223\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"35.262910798122\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/europol-piracy-streaming-crackdown-operation-kratos2\/\"> <span>Cybercrime<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Officials said they dismantled nine organized crime groups and removed more than 27,000 URLs hosting live sports and other copyrighted media during a seven-month operation. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/89294\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, is pictured at its headquarters building on June 24, 2020 in The Hague, Netherlands. (Photo by Yuriko Nakao\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"31.499445471349\"><body readability=\"64.406794814484\"><\/p>\n<p>Authorities in Europe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europol.europa.eu\/media-press\/newsroom\/news\/29-arrested-law-enforcement-strikes-criminal-networks-behind-illegal-streaming\">arrested 29 alleged cybercriminals<\/a> and took down more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs that pirated major sporting events, films and TV programming, Europol said Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The continent-wide collaboration, led by Bulgaria and the European Union\u2019s police agency, allowed authorities to dismantle nine organized crime groups supporting the illicit streaming networks, officials said. \u201cOperation Kratos 2\u201d focused on disrupting the networks\u2019 underlying infrastructure and stretched for seven months before coming to a close in April. <\/p>\n<p>Officials did not name the suspects, groups or services targeted during the crackdown, but noted that investigators identified key players responsible for managing and operating the piracy platforms.<\/p>\n<p>Europol said the streaming sites infringed on nearly 850,000 media across 169 domains. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhat appears to consumers as cheap access to premium content is powered by complex criminal enterprises,\u201d the agency said in a news release. Illegal streaming site operators host separate servers for customer-facing websites and illegal content, and distribute their services across multiple countries.<\/p>\n<p>During the course of the operation, officials conducted 148 house searches, identified 86 suspects and referred 59 cases to courts for criminal proceedings. <\/p>\n<p>Investigators also worked with private-sector partners to identify nearly 4,400 new domains and more than 18,000 IP addresses linked to piracy and other illegal activity. Those efforts allowed authorities to report almost 400,000 additional URLs for suspension or removal. <\/p>\n<p>Live sports piracy networks are widespread and consistently tracked by antipiracy coalitions and authorities globally. Authorities in Egypt last year <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/streameast-piracy-live-sports-network-shut-down\/\">shut down Streameast<\/a>, the most popular and largest illegal live sports streaming network at the time, with an operation that spanned 80 domains and logged more than 1.6 billion visits during the year prior.<\/p>\n<p>Operation Kratos 2 was supported by anti-piracy associations, UEFA Europa League, La Liga, beIN Media Group and officials from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.8351177730193\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"14\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Matt Kapko\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Matt Kapko<\/h4>\n<p> Matt Kapko is a reporter at CyberScoop. His beat includes cybercrime, ransomware, software defects and vulnerability (mis)management. The lifelong Californian started his journalism career in 2001 with previous stops at Cybersecurity Dive, CIO, SDxCentral and RCR Wireless News. Matt has a degree in journalism and history from Humboldt State University. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/bulgaria\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Bulgaria<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/cybercrime\/\" rel=\"category tag\">cybercrime<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/cybersecurity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Cybersecurity<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/europe\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Europe<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/europol\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Europol<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/operation-kratos-2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Operation KRATOS 2<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/piracy\/\" rel=\"category tag\">piracy<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/sports\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Sports<\/a> <a 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{"id":8715,"date":"2026-06-03T17:15:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=89294"},"modified":"2026-06-03T17:15:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:15:56","slug":"european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/03\/european-authorities-crack-down-on-illegal-streaming-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"European authorities crack down on illegal streaming networks"},"content":{"rendered":"