The upcoming bout between the undefeated Mayweather, and UFC star Conor McGregor, has generated phenomenal interest. As such, Showtime is concerned about a loss in revenue from pay-per-view receipts due to the availability of unauthorized streams on the web.
The premium cable and satellite network went to court seeking an injunction against several websites that are advertising the bout ahead of the weekend. United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. approved a preliminary injunction forbidding the site's operators from providing illegal streams. The injunction is valid until August 28.
All of the domains affected appear to be associated with LiveStreamHDQ, according to TorrentFreak. Showtime has clashed with LiveStreamHDQ's operator, Kopa Mayweather, in the past.
Given the high profile nature of the fight, it is likely that a very wide range of sites will offer illegal streams through browsers, while others will be available through P2P streaming (Acestream etc.) and by other means. The unauthorized streaming of sports events has come to the forefront in recent months around the world. In the UK, efforts are underway to block illegal streams of Premier League football matches during the games, for example.
Written by: James Delahunty @ 21 Aug 2017 18:16
