Major IPTV Piracy Network Dismantled in Belgium-France Raids
French and Belgian law enforcement authorities have dismantled a major illegal IPTV network known as “Noos+” that served approximately 250,000 subscribers across France and Belgium. The operation, announced on June 5, 2026, resulted in 11 arrests and the seizure of approximately €1.4 million in assets, delivering a significant blow to digital piracy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Operation
The investigation, led by the French Gendarmerie’s cybercrime unit (UNCyber/C3N) under the direction of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, began in June 2024 after Canal+ filed a complaint when its anti-piracy systems identified the illegal Noos+ service. Over the course of a year-long investigation, authorities tracked the network’s infrastructure across France, Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands.
On June 2, 2026, the network’s founder — an Italian national living in Belgium — was arrested in a coordinated operation. Three days later, authorities announced the full dismantling of the operation, with a total of 11 people taken into custody: eight in France and three in Belgium.
How Noos+ Operated
According to La Libre Belgique, the Noos+ network offered subscriptions at €50 to €100 per year — roughly €7 per month — granting access to premium channels including Canal+, beIN Sports, and Ligue 1+ that would normally cost over €100 per month through legitimate providers.
The network operated 20 servers located across France, Canada, and the Netherlands, with some servers hosted directly at the suspects’ residences. The operation was highly profitable: investigators estimate the network generated more than €12 million in profits over five years.
Assets Seized
During the raids, authorities confiscated substantial assets including:
- €750,000 in cryptocurrency
- €380,000 to €400,000 from bank accounts
- €100,000 to €104,000 in cash
- €150,000 worth of luxury vehicles, designer goods, and IT equipment
In total, approximately €1.4 million in assets were seized, along with the 20 servers that powered the illegal streaming service.
Broader Crackdown on IPTV Piracy
The dismantling of Noos+ comes amid intensifying enforcement against IPTV piracy across Europe. According to the Gendarmerie Nationale, large-scale audiovisual content piracy causes an estimated €1.5 billion in annual losses in France alone, with €400 million in uncollected public revenue.
In Belgium, IPTV piracy has reportedly affected more than 650,000 households. Belgian authorities have been stepping up their response: in February 2026, RTL Belgium and RTBF obtained a court order to block illegal IPTV services, and in March 2026, Vice-Prime Minister David Clarinval introduced legislation to allow preventive blocking of pirate streams.
France has also begun targeting individual users. In March 2026, 19 IPTV subscribers accepted fines of €300 to €400 to avoid prosecution, while 2,266 other subscribers faced additional penalties.
Timing with the 2026 World Cup
The operation’s timing is particularly significant. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just days away — a major event that historically drives a surge in IPTV subscriptions as fans seek cheaper access to premium sports broadcasts — authorities have sent a clear deterrent message.
As the Gendarmerie Nationale stated in its official announcement, piracy “primarily impacts the most fragile players, and greatly harms the diversity of creation and the balance of sports competitions.”
What’s Next
The 11 arrested individuals face serious charges related to organized piracy, money laundering, and copyright infringement. The 250,000 subscribers of Noos+ lost access to the service immediately when the 20 servers were taken offline.
Questions remain about whether subscribers will face legal consequences, as seen in previous French cases where users were fined. The operation also raises the question of how quickly replacement services might emerge to fill the gap left by Noos+.
What is clear is that cross-border cooperation between Belgian and French authorities is intensifying, setting a potential model for future operations against digital piracy networks across Europe.