Calcio, one of the world’s biggest piracy sports streaming platforms, has been shut down following a joint crackdown by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and DAZN.
The site recorded more than 123 million visits in the past year across 134 domains, with over 6 million monthly visits from Italy, making it the country’s most visited illegal sports streaming platform.
According to ACE, more than 80% of Calcio’s traffic came from Italy, with additional visitors from Spain, the U.S., Germany, and France. The Moldova-based operator of Calcio agreed to cease operations, and all domains have now been transferred to ACE, redirecting users to its Watch Legally website.
The platform provided unauthorized streams of top-tier sports, including Serie A, Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO, NBA, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and many more.
“Shutting down illegal operations like Calcio is vital for protecting fans, safeguarding jobs, and preserving the value and integrity of live sports,” said Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group. Larissa Knapp, EVP at the Motion Picture Association (MPA), added that piracy “diminishes the commercial value of a live sports broadcast well before the final whistle blows, harming broadcasters, sports leagues, and fans alike.”
ACE, backed by over 50 global media and entertainment companies, including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery, has led several similar operations this year. Earlier actions included shutting down Streameast, Rare Breed TV, and securing a seven-year prison sentence for Jetflicks ringleader Kristopher Lee Dallmann.
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