Canal+ secured a favorable ruling from the Paris judicial court ordering five VPN providers to block 203 domain names linked to illegal sports streaming — a legal first. Under the ruling, Nordvpn, Cyberghost, Surfshark, Expressvpn, and Proton must restrict access to sites illegally streaming UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and Top 14 matches, for which Canal+ holds exclusive broadcasting rights in France.
Canal+ welcomed the decision, which for the first time recognizes VPN providers as technical intermediaries responsible in cases of illegal sports broadcasting. The group sees this as a major milestone in the fight against sports piracy in France and internationally, setting a legal precedent.
Following previous court orders targeting illegal streaming via internet service providers (2022), alternative DNS providers (2024), and CDN/proxy services (2025), this new ruling aligns with Canal+’s broader strategy to hold all types of intermediaries accountable. Protecting its content remains a top priority for Canal+, which continues to pursue all available legal actions. In 2024 alone, the group secured blocking orders against more than 1,300 domain names in France.
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