LaLiga's IP Blocking Measures Disrupt Numerous Websites During Matches

While the intent is to reduce piracy, the practical outcome often affects a wide array of online services unrelated to football. This occurs because most websites do not operate on individual IP addresses; instead, multiple sites can be hosted under a single IP. Thus, blocking one address can inadvertently render several legitimate websites inaccessible.

To illustrate, one can compare it to shutting off power in all of Madrid because one resident is suspected of theft. In response to these measures, Tebas has claimed that complaints primarily come from a “few geeks,” though evidence shows that thousands of innocent sites face disruptions during matches, with between 500 and 1,000 IPs blocked for each game.

Blocking typically commences shortly before a match and continues until the broadcast concludes. For instance, on the opening day of the 2026-2027 season on August 15, 2026, LaLiga requested the simultaneous blocking of 550 IP addresses. Research from the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) indicates that in the first half of 2026, there were 7,441 blocks affecting 36 providers, including major players like Amazon AWS and Cloudflare.

LaLiga maintains these are targeted blocks aimed at mitigating significant annual losses estimated between 600 and 700 million euros due to piracy. Nevertheless, many users suffer collateral damage. A report from OONI states that over 554,000 legitimate domains were affected by these blocks, with Cloudflare alone accounting for 90% of the disruptions.

Several well-known platforms have encountered issues during LaLiga matches, including the Redsys payment gateway, which has reported problems processing online payments. Websites like WikiDex, which serves as a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, have also faced access difficulties due to these restrictions.

For example, during a match between Elche C.F. and Real Madrid on September 15, 2026, several websites were completely blocked, despite having no links to piracy. Users utilizing VPNs could access these sites without interruption. The disruptions included major retail websites and even those belonging to research institutions.

On September 16, 2026, during another match, users experienced blocked access while attempting to download tools unrelated to football. The blocking typically lasts several hours, significantly impacting connectivity for users and businesses alike.

Legal justification for these blocks stems from a December 2024 ruling by Commercial Court No. 6 of Barcelona, allowing LaLiga to request immediate suspension of IP access without reapplying for a court order. Although there has been a non-binding proposal in Congress to amend the Digital Services Act to introduce oversight of such blocking measures, it remains to be seen how this will affect LaLiga's operations moving forward.

Users frustrated with the disruptions have turned to VPN solutions to bypass the blocks, a method which LaLiga claims should also be scrutinized. The current court order regarding these measures is set to expire on June 20, 2027, raising questions about future practices as the legal landscape evolves.