Cuevana Streaming Site Shut Down by ACE?

By iptv.legal , in News , at July 11, 2023

The popular streaming website Cuevana has reportedly been shut down by ACE.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is a global anti-piracy organization that is responsible for shutting down hundreds of pirate streaming sites.

When it comes to IPTV services, streaming apps, and streaming websites, there are thousands of verified and unverified options to choose from.

We have no idea which streaming apps/sites hold the proper licensing for the content they broadcast, and we rely on reports from ACE like this one to better inform our visitors about the legality of streaming websites.

Cuevana Shut Down

This time it’s a notable streaming website on ACE’s radar that was operated out of Peru – Cuevana.

ACE has reportedly taken down 22 domains linked to Cuevana, a widely utilized pirate streaming site in South America.

ACE’s actions were directed at a Peruvian operator responsible for this version of Cuevana, which has amassed hundreds of millions of visits over the years.

Nevertheless, another Cuevana website is still operational, reflecting the continuous “whac-a-mole” challenge faced by anti-piracy entities.

Cuevana first came under the anti-piracy radar in 2009. Originated by Tomas Escobar, an engineering student from Cordoba, Argentina, Cuevana emulated a Netflix-like streaming experience but without any subscription fees and with an extensive content catalog.

This model quickly attracted millions of users, prompting rights holders to launch enforcement campaigns against the site. However, the original Cuevana site no longer belongs to Escobar.

His departure paved the way for other aspiring pirate site operators, resulting in numerous Cuevana variants cropping up over the past decade. These include domain variations like Cuevanahd, Cuevana2, and Cuevana3.

These Cuevana iterations have remained a constant source of concern for Hollywood and have been repeatedly listed on the U.S. Trade Representative’s catalog of notorious pirate sites.

The USTR noted in its most recent summary, “Cuevana is the most popular piracy site in the Spanish-speaking part of Latin America, offering more than 7,000 unlicensed television and movie titles.”

Cuevana Operators Based in Peru

A significant turning point occurred two years ago when ACE sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Chilean operators of a Cuevana portal, resulting in its closure.

However, this victory was somewhat incomplete as Cuevana3.io, the leading domain at the time, remained operational.

Despite Hollywood’s continued attempts to shut down various Cuevana3 domains, the site managed to stay online by hopping from one domain to another.

Recently, ACE announced a significant stride in its anti-piracy efforts. They managed to locate the operator of Cuevana3.ai in the Piura District of Peru, leading to the site’s eventual shutdown.

Visitors to the domains controlled by this operator are now redirected to ACE’s “Watch Legally” page. This operation resulted in the seizure of 22 domains, collectively accounting for more than 100 million visits from March to May of this year.

However, the challenge persists. While ACE succeeded in neutralizing the threat posed by Cuevana3.io, another Cuevana site—Cuevana3.ch—has surged to the forefront, attracting over 110 million visits over the past three months.

This scenario underscores the ongoing struggle faced by anti-piracy organizations, emphasizing the difficulty of permanently shutting down these piracy sites and highlighting the tenacious, ever-adapting nature of digital piracy.

Overall, it will be interesting to see what ultimately happens to the operators of Cuevana.

We are also curious to determine which pirate streaming sites are next on ACE’s target list. We will always keep our visitors informed on the latest streaming news when the information is released.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen notable streaming sites shut down by ACE and other anti-piracy authorities.

For more information on this story, you can view the official press release on ACE’s website.

Legal Streaming Options

It’s impossible for IPTV Wire to determine whether unverified IPTV services, apps, websites, or add-ons hold the proper licensing.

If and when a streaming website is deemed illegal, we notify our users immediately and update reports on our website like this one to reflect that information.

In conclusion, the end-user is responsible for all content accessed through free streaming sites, apps, and paid services.

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