Spanish Authorities Take Down Unauthorized Football Streaming Site

Spanish authorities have successfully dismantled Cristal Azul, the nation's largest illegal football streaming platform.

This operation marks a victory for La Liga and broadcaster Movistar, who jointly filed a complaint that initiated the crackdown.

The platform had been illicitly broadcasting La Liga and second division matches, resulting in financial losses exceeding 42 million euros for these companies.

The Guardia Civil, Spain's national law enforcement agency, revealed that more than 78,000 community members were benefiting from the unauthorized broadcasts.

In their statement, they emphasized the scale of the fraud, which defrauded two prominent Spanish companies of substantial revenue.

A 37-year-old man has been identified as the alleged perpetrator and is currently under investigation. La Liga president Javier Tebas has long been vocal about the detrimental impact of illegal streaming on the football industry, describing it as "theft" that could potentially drive the sport "into bankruptcy."