Sports Content Security
Protecting the Value of Live Sports Rights
Independent testing and assurance for sports rights holders, broadcasters, and D2C platforms.
$28B
Estimated annual cost of sports piracy to rights holders
Live sports rights are among the most valuable and time-sensitive assets in media. A single leak during a major event can cause immediate commercial damage, and traditional anti-piracy methods often act only after the value is lost.
Cartesian helps rights holders, leagues, clubs, and streaming platforms protect that value by identifying vulnerabilities, quantifying exposure, verifying licensee compliance, and providing real-time matchday assurance.
Backed by 25+ years of content security expertise, we provide independent, vendor-neutral services trusted by leading studios, platforms, and rights holders.
25+ years of expertise | 50+ platforms assessed | 30+ territories covered | 6 continents
25+ years of expertise
50+ platforms assessed
30+ territories covered
6 continents
How We Help
Territorial rights lose value the moment viewers start bypassing your controls. We test geo-blocking and VPN detection in real-world conditions so you can see where exposure exists before kick-off.
- Pre-Match VPN Sweeps — Confirm geo-blocking works before the event starts, not after.
- Live Match-Day Alerts — Real-time notification when territorial breaches occur.
- Monitoring Dashboard — Visibility into territorial enforcement across your licensee portfolio with actionable data to support renewal negotiations and dispute resolution.
Every match day without monitoring is revenue at risk.
A large licensee base creates risk. Self-reporting rarely gives you a complete picture. We provide independent testing and practical recommendations so you can verify controls and raise the standard across your licensee ecosystem.
- Platform Security Audits — Independent review of streaming platforms covering authentication, DRM, CDN security, and abuse detection.
- Black-Box Testing — External testing of live services to verify access controls.
- Advisory & Contractual Support — Strengthen security requirements, review compliance, and support internal teams.
Get independent proof, not promises.
By the time a leaked stream is found, the commercial damage is usually already done. We help you understand where you’re exposed, how controls are performing and where enforcement should focus.
- Anti-Piracy Investigations — Identify risks across the piracy landscape, quantify exposure, and shape proactive enforcement.
- Credential Sharing Detection — Behavioural analytics to identify account misuse and unauthorised access
- Watermark Testing & Implementation Reviews — Verify forensic watermarking withstands real-world piracy attacks using a methodology developed with Hollywood studios and aligned with MovieLabs standards.
Find the leaks before they cost you.
Season-Long Assurance Cycle
Sports content security is not a one-off exercise. It needs to keep pace with the season. Cartesian runs a structured assurance cycle that gives you continuous visibility and ready-made evidence for negotiations, renewals and disputes.
PRE-SEASON
Audits & Testing
Security assessments of licensees including black-box testing, VPN detection testing, and platform audits to identify vulnerabilities and set a baseline.
MATCH DAY
Live Assurance
Pre-event VPN sweep. Live event VPN detection and black-box testing. Immediate bypass alerting. Post-match report within 24 to 48 hours.
POST-EVENT
Reports & Evidence
Performance tracking per licensee. Red/Amber/Green scorecards with trending views over time. Renewal-ready evidence packs for negotiations.
Licensee Performance Scorecard
Every licensee receives a clear score covering VPN detection rates, security posture, and compliance status. Ready-made evidence for renewals and negotiations. |
Who We Work With
Built for teams responsible for protecting the commercial value of live sports rights across platforms, territories, and licensee ecosystems.
Sports Rights Holders
Protect the value of your rights across territories, platforms and partners with independent testing, compliance assurance, and audit-ready evidence for renewals, negotiations, and enforcement.
Streaming Platforms / Licensees
Strengthen your streaming service with independent validation of geo-blocking, VPN detection, platform security, and access controls so you can meet rights holders expectations with confidence.
Betting Partners
Verify that geo-restrictions and VPN detection controls are working in practice, meet legal obligations, reduce contractual and reputational risk, and provide rights holders with clear, independent evidence of compliance.
Security Solution Vendors
Security can’t be assumed, it must be proven. Rights holders require independent auditing of security solutions workflows, access controls, and implementation before granting approval. Without verified security, content remains at risk.
Why Cartesian?
Independent expertise you can trust, commercial outcomes you can measure.
Independent & Vendor-Neutral
We don’t sell security tools or platforms. Our findings and recommendations are unbiased and driven entirely by your commercial interests.
Trusted by Hollywood Studios
25+ years of content security expertise. Our audit and testing methodologies are recognised by the world’s leading content owners and major studios, and aligned with MovieLabs requirements.
Licensee Ecosystem Experience
We’ve worked across large, complex ecosystems spanning 40+ international distribution partners with varying levels of security maturity.
Case Studies
MAJOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Raising security standards across an international licensee network
A major European football league with 40+ international licensees needed independent oversight of security compliance across a complex distribution ecosystem.
We carried out black-box testing, platform audits, implementation support, contractual clause drafting, and staff training to raise security standards across the licensee base.
Outcome: Higher security standards across the entire licensee base
MAJOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Validating match-day geo-blocking for a D2C launch
A major European football league launching its own D2C streaming service needed to validate geo-blocking and VPN detection before enforcing requirements on licensees.
We carried out recurring match-day testing across 11 countries, 15 VPNs, and 2 devices, identified improvement areas, and delivered audit-ready evidence to support stronger enforcement.
Outcome: Stronger match-day geo-blocking and better evidence for enforcement
FOOTBALL CLUB
Independent VPN testing for a betting partner
A football club needed independent verification that its betting partner’s geo-blocking and VPN detection controls were working in practice, supported by audit-ready evidence for contractual compliance.
We tested geo-restrictions across 10 countries, 15 VPNs, and 4 devices, then established recurring monthly testing to track performance and drive ongoing improvement.
Outcome: Verified geo-blocking effectiveness and supported continuous improvement
STREAMING SOLUTION VENDOR
End-to-end security review of a white-label SaaS streaming solution
A streaming solution vendor required an independent security review of its white-label SaaS solution across the full delivery chain.
We assessed the backend, content pipeline, CDN, and front-end applications to identify weaknesses and align the platform with premium content security requirements.
Outcome: Supported our customer in fixing vulnerabilities and aligning their solution with the highest content security standards
Protect Your Rights. Start Today.
Whether you need a targeted audit, or season-long assurance, we’ll scope the right program for your rights portfolio and commercial priorities.