Thepezzotto is a phenomenon with over 5 million users, at the expense of Sky and DAZN

Just in the period in which we return to talk about piracy, with the cinema release of Mixed by Erry by Sydney Sibilia, new data emerges on the illegal streaming of pay TV. It is the famous “piece“, a term that in the Neapolitan dialect indicates the parallel market, both of products and services such as Sky e DAZN. Precisely these two companies seem to be most affected, above all because they are the two realities that share the rights to Serie A football.

According to data from La Repubblica, there are over 5 million users who use illegal services every weekend to follow their favorite team. But how exactly does thepezzotto work?

How the PB works: €10 for access to Sky, DAZN and Netflix

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The bit system is actually very simple. The user buys a decoder unofficial – let it be clear: it is not illegal per se – at a variable price (ranging from €20 upwards). This decoder can take different forms depending on the price. However, for the lower end, it consists of sort of penna USB to connect to the TV.

However, if the purchase of the decoder itself does not constitute a crime, what is illegal is the use of the exclusive contents of the platforms. Those who use thepezzotto turn to a supplier, who is most often a hacker, who allows you to send to the decoder all the contents included in the offers of the main pay TV services, at an ultra-competitive price. According to the various offers, easily available online, the piece can cost as little as €10 a month, guaranteeing unlimited access to Sky, DAZN, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+ catalogues as well as a whole series of international TV channels and often not accessible from Italy (except via VPN).

In recent years, pay TVs have done a lot to counter the phenomenon, which is most often linked to organized crime, just as the authorities themselves have taken an interest in curbing the market. At the same time, however, the same “illegal suppliers” have adapted. Today ilpezzotto manages to offer even higher quality and lower image delay than the original sources. This happens mainly because Sky and DAZN implement signal protection and encryption systems, which causes a slowdown that thepezzotto bypasses.

La Repubblica reports that the recent Operation Gothascored by the Guardia di Finanza, managed to stop an illegal market worth about 30 million euros. A tour that involved over 900,000 users in about 22 Italian cities.