Thousands of websites have been taken down for illegal World Cup streams.

Nearly 3,000 websites have been banned or arrested for illegally streaming World Cup games, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

More than 1,000 domains were banned in the US alone during the tournament, and a similar number were banned in Colombia.

Enforcement agencies in the U.S. and throughout South America carried out investigations called “Operation Offside” and “Operation Red Card.”

Ivan J. Arvello, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordinating Center (NIPRCC), said the unauthorized broadcast of World Cup matches violates intellectual property rights and “fuels criminal organizations.”

The DOJ said it had taken down 400 websites for illegal World Cup streaming at the end of last month. Hundreds have now been taken down or banned.

DOJ Assistant Prosecutor General A. Tyson Duva said: “The ongoing effort to seize more than a thousand domains for illegally streaming the World Cup demonstrates the administration’s commitment to intellectual property rights and the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

Enforcement is largely overseen by the federal agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which includes the NIPRCC.

Illegal sports streaming usually occurs through websites or websites created for the event. They have companies and distributors Estimate, External The activity costs them billions of dollars a year.

Due to its international popularity, football was discovered Plundered on an “industrial scale”. According to analysts. The rising cost of affiliate rights deals has resulted in higher prices for fans at home, especially if they choose to pay for multiple services to watch their team play.

Some fans have turned to illegal big games to avoid such expenses.

Charles Rivkin, chairman of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), which aims to fight digital piracy And he helped in the police effort, he said on Monday that the World Cup is “an international live event where pirate networks move quickly to exploit”.

The crackdown on illegal broadcasting is backed by World Cup organizers FIFA, beIN Media Group, NBC Universal, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Warner Brothers.

Most of FIFA’s revenue comes from selling broadcast rights to various media outlets around the world that want to televise matches.

FIFA and other media outlets did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Colombian Attorney General’s Office has made several arrests in connection with the incident.

Four members of the so-called “cybercriminal group” Los Siberinfiltrados have been arrested for illegally acquiring and distributing World Cup games.

Another 830 websites were also taken down in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

As well as illegal distribution, Colombian police have conducted “nationwide search and seizure operations” around fake sportswear.

According to the DOJ, 11 people in the country were arrested and found guilty of illegally producing and distributing fake sports goods.