Aberdeen FC have backed the SPFL’s move to crackdown on licensed premises that illegally stream football matches.
The SPFL has been working with Sky to prevent unauthorised broadcasts being shown in pubs and other licensed premises throughout the country.
Throughout the season, the SPFL has raised a number of actions in the Court of Session in Edinburgh against licensees who have been showing live Scottish Premiership matches without the necessary subscription from Sky.
As a result of those actions, some licensees have received temporary injunctions preventing them from showing unauthorised broadcasts while court action is ongoing.
In a recent action against a bar in Edinburgh, the SPFL was awarded a permanent interdict preventing them from showing live broadcasts without an agreement from Sky. They were also forced to pay the SPFL’s legal costs and fund the publication of notices advertising the orders in local press.
Rob Wicks, commercial director of Aberdeen FC, has backed the anti-piracy work carried out by the SPFL and Sky.
He said: “We welcome today’s announcement from the SPFL as it’s crucial for the financial sustainability of the Scottish game that we crack down on those not paying to show games and drive attendance at stadia across the country.
“And it goes beyond games shown on Sky. The live streaming of our games illegally – using RedTV or VPN – has a detrimental impact on our revenues and attendances at Pittodrie.”
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said the SPFL is committed to protecting the investment of those that show legitimate broadcasts of SPFL matches and the SPFL’s intellectual property rights.
He said: “Today’s announcement underlines the effectiveness of our nationwide detection and enforcement campaign, which tracks down those who try to dodge their responsibilities, by showing our games without paying for them.
“Working together with our partners at Sky, we are relentless in pursuing legal action against those who seek to show SPFL games without the proper licenses in place.
“The overwhelming majority of responsible licensees recognise the enormous benefits of showing our games on their premises and do the right thing by paying for the privilege.
“It’s entirely unfair to them if others are allowed to get away without paying and today’s announcement underlines our determination to track down the license-dodgers and make them pay.”
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