Chinese K-Drama Streaming Websites Shut Down By SBS

SBS reported on May 29th that they had effectively shut down three unauthorized streaming platforms, one of which was FantaTV, previously known as BLACKVOD.

Last August, SBS collaborated with Chinese officials to carry out a law enforcement operation against FantaTV, a website that was illegally sharing Korean content without authorization. This was done in order to prevent any copyright violations. As a result, all three websites, Fanta TV, ItaewonTV, and ColaTV, were shut down one after another in May of this year following a server seizure. At present, these websites remain inaccessible and their servers have been permanently shut down.

FantaTV, a streaming website located in China, was known for giving viewers unauthorized access to Korean broadcasts and making money from advertising. The site consistently uploaded Korean content within a day of its original airing. Just like NunuTV, which caused controversy in Korea in April of last year, FantaTV evaded enforcement actions by frequently altering its IPs and URLs.

SBS announced that their actions against the illegal Korean streaming sites operating with servers in China serve as a strong example of cracking down on such activities. They expressed their hope that this will establish a positive precedent for dealing with other overseas streaming sites. Additionally, they emphasized the need for continued attention and cooperation from the government, as there are still numerous similar illegal streaming websites operating in China even after the shutdown of FantaTV.

In response to the illegal distribution of K-content initiated by NunuTV in 2023, the government has established the “K-Content Illegal Distribution Eradication Council”to combat this issue. However, certain overseas streaming sites have been evading punishment by frequently altering their URL addresses. As a result, it is imperative for the government to intensify their efforts in penalizing illegal distributors and safeguarding the integrity of K-content.