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UAE blocks over 14,100 piracy websites during 2026 Fifa World Cup
Protecting sports broadcasting rights, particularly during major global events such as the World Cup, is a crucial part of the UAE’s efforts to support the creative and sports content economy
- PUBLISHED: Thu 6 Aug 2026, 4:00 PM UPDATED: Thu 6 Aug 2026, 4:07 PM
The UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism blocked 14,122 websites and applications for illegally broadcasting sports content during the 2026 Fifa World Cup, as part of a crackdown on digital piracy by its “InstaBlock” centre.
The figure comprised 9,595 domains and 4,527 IP addresses, the ministry said, taken down through the centre’s monitoring and rapid-response system for handling reports of broadcasting rights violations, in cooperation with relevant authorities and local economic departments.
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Separately, the ministry, working with local economic departments, carried out more than 370 field inspection visits to commercial establishments during the tournament, focusing on cafes and restaurants. The visits identified 287 non-compliant establishments that were not using licensed broadcasting channels.
Since “InstaBlock” was established in February 2025, the total number of websites and applications blocked for violating sports broadcasting regulations has reached 68,401. The ministry noted a steady rise in enforcement activity, with 1,132 sites blocked in 2023, 4,557 in 2024, and 21,000 in 2025.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup ran from June 11 to July 19, jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico across 16 host cities. Spain claimed the title, defeating three-time champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time. It was Spain's second World Cup title, following 2010.
The tournament generated huge buzz in the UAE. In Dubai, venues across the city screened all the matches. As matches kicked off, UAE authorities urged residents to watch only through licensed platforms and fan zones, warning that unauthorised streaming violates intellectual property rights amid a surge in global viewership.
Rapid response system
Dr Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, assistant undersecretary for intellectual property at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, said the centre has contributed to enhancing the speed of response to digital violations and limiting the spread of content circulated or broadcast without the necessary licences, supported by the latest technologies and artificial intelligence applications.
Al Muaini said protecting sports broadcasting rights, particularly during major global events such as the World Cup, is a crucial part of the UAE’s efforts to support the creative and sports content economy.
He added that the ministry’s inspection campaigns, run jointly with local economic entities, have strengthened compliance with broadcasting rights regulations and bolstered the confidence of rights holders and broadcasters in the UAE’s digital environment.
According to the ministry, the InstaBlock system begins with receiving reports and complaints from rights holders about infringing websites or applications. These are then referred to the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) for blocking action, with the process of identifying an offending site and completing the blocking procedure taking approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Partnerships with rights holders
The centre operates in cooperation with its strategic partner, TDRA, and in partnership with LaLiga and Eurostar Multimedia. Since its launch, it has strengthened cooperation between the ministry, regulatory bodies, internet service providers and rights holders by providing a rapid mechanism for monitoring infringing content and responding to blocking requests.
The ministry said this has helped reduce response times to infringement reports, curb the spread of illegal broadcasting, and protect investments linked to the sports and creative content industry.
