WE HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO BLOCK CERTAIN IP ADDRESSES RELATED TO STREAMS OF VARIOUS SPORTS GAMES.
Background
As you may know, in November 2019, the Federal Court of Canada issued an order that required 11 internet service providers including TekSavvy to block access to websites such as GoldTV, which were providing access to copyrighted content without permission.
This was the first site blocking order of its kind, and TekSavvy challenged this order by appealing it to the Federal Court of Appeal and seeking to appeal it to the Supreme Court of Canada. Unfortunately, TekSavvy’s appeals were not successful, and the order set a precedent for site blocking orders in Canada.
In 2022, the court issued a new type of Internet blocking order, this time targeted first at NHL games and then the FIFA Men’s World Cup. The court has since issued several blocking orders of this type. For more information on our position on site blocking and net neutrality, check out our blog here.
Latest Order
On April 5, 2024, Rogers Media Inc., Bell Media Inc., The Sports Network Inc., Le Reseau des Sports Inc., Groupe TVA Inc., and others (the “Plaintiffs”) asked the Federal Court to issue an order forcing their affiliated ISPs and some other Canadian ISPs to block access to IP addresses that the Plaintiffs find to be associated with infringing streams of certain NHL, NBA and Premier League games during the duration of the order.
On July 9, 2024, the Federal Court issued the order in Federal Court File No. T-743-24 and subsequently amended it on July 23, 2024, October 3, 2024, December 10, 2024, and March 20, 2025 (together, the “Orders”). The public version of the Orders can be found here.
The Order means that certain ISPs, including TekSavvy, are required to block access to the IP addresses identified by the Plaintiffs during certain live game windows for the following content:
National Basketball Association (NBA)
The following games for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 NBA seasons:
• All pre-season NBA games and all regular season NBA games played by the Toronto Raptors basketball club;
• All regular season NBA games involving one or more NBA teams (other than the Toronto Raptors basketball club) that are broadcast on the Sportsnet or TSN stations; and
• All playoff NBA games involving one or more NBA teams (including the Toronto Raptors basketball club).
Premier League
All Premier League matches for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons, and the 2025-2026 season.
National Hockey League (NHL)
All national and regional NHL games broadcast in Canada by any of the Plaintiffs during the 2023-2024 season, including the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and final series, and the 2024-2025 NHL season, including the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs and final Series.
Major League Baseball (MLB)
• All 2024 and 2025 regular season MLB games played by the Toronto Blue Jays, except for games that will be distributed by Apple TV+ during the course of the 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons; and
• All “Jewel Events” until at least the 2026 MLB season, consisting of each postseason MLB game, currently consisting of:
- each World Series Game, each League Championship Series Game, each Division Series Game and each Wild Card Game and, if applicable, each game played during any expanded or modified postseason;
- each MLB All-Star Game;
- each All-Star Home Run Derby;
- each MLB All-Star Futures Game except for a maximum of two Division Series Games per year that may be distributed on the MLB Network in Canada, unless the Toronto Blue Jays are participating in such games, in which case these games are also included.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
• Until at least 2026, the Late Preliminary bouts and Main Card bouts for a minimum of 20 Fight Night Events per year; and
• Until at least 2026, the Late Preliminary bouts for a minimum of 12 UFC “numbered” pay-per-view (PPV) Events per year.
International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships
All matches and ceremonies of the 2025 and 2026 World Junior Championships.
The Order is a “dynamic” site blocking order, which means it allows the Plaintiffs to continuously update the list of IP addresses we are required to block during the targeted game windows.
The Plaintiffs may also apply to the court to change the list of sports content that is covered by this blocking order. This page will continue to be updated to reflect any amendments.
