They had managed to set up a real illegal sports streaming network. Aged between 43 and 57, five men were sentenced by the Rennes criminal court to sentences ranging from 5,000 euros suspended fine to 12 months in prison, six of which were suspended for the main suspect.

The creator of the sites, Olivier O., 46, living near Rennes, received a 12-month prison sentence, including six months suspended, we learned from the court on Monday, June 8. He was convicted of counterfeiting and money laundering and the court ordered the confiscation of his vehicle and his bank accounts.

With the other defendants, he is accused of having broadcast on "a galaxy of sites", since at least 2014, sporting events (football, basketball, rugby ...) reserved for subscribers of pay channels. The Canal Plus channel was thus broadcast free 24 hours a day. The nine most visited sites attracted more than 7.5 million unique visitors from 2014 to 2017, according to an estimate quoted at the hearing in March.

A "measured condemnation"

"He has always recognized his participation. He wants to turn the page," his lawyer Me Hélène Laudic-Baron told AFP, referring to a "measured conviction" in relation to the confiscations.

The company Canal Plus, which had brought a civil action, claims 29.9 million euros in damages from the defendants who incurred a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. The companies SFR and beIN Sports also brought civil actions. The court postponed the hearing on civil interests until October 15 at 2 p.m. French time.

"This is where things will play out," said Laudic-Baron, saying that "the way in which the financial consequences of counterfeiting are presented have been overestimated by the civil parties".

Yannick T., a 43-year-old computer scientist, paid 55,000 euros between 2014 and 2018 to broadcast games and administer the sites, received a suspended sentence of six months, with his vehicle and bank accounts confiscated. Jean-Éric M., 57, who said he acted "in the Robin Hood spirit", was sentenced to a fine of 20,000 euros including 10,000 euros suspended, like Alexandre G., 43 years. Franck C., 48, from Roubaix (North), who said he was taken for a "boob", was sentenced to 5,000 euros suspended.

Over 200,000 euros in advertising gains

Thanks to special software, the defendants captured the video stream of their Canal Plus, beIN Sports or RMC Sports subscriptions, and then retransmitted it to a server. For foreign channels, links to illegal content sites were put online, according to elements of the investigation cited at the hearing.

Visitors to the sites were then "bombarded" with advertisements, which would have brought in around 230,000 euros, paid by 50 advertising agencies between 2014 and 2018.

"Welcome everyone to the best free streaming site," announced the home page of one of the 30 websites broadcasting football, basketball or rugby matches, normally reserved for subscribers to pay channels.

With AFP

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