Xôi Lạc TV and the price of the habit of watching football for "free"
News of authorities dismantling the illegal football broadcasting system Xôi Lạc TV quickly spread across the press and social media. What was noteworthy was not only the scale of the case or the number of people prosecuted, but also the reaction of a segment of the online community.
Phuoc Anh • March 6, 2026
*****
News of authorities dismantling the illegal football broadcasting system Xôi Lạc TV quickly spread across the press and social media. What was noteworthy was not only the scale of the case or the number of people prosecuted, but also the reaction of a segment of the online community. Alongside opinions supporting the handling of the illegal activity, many comments expressed regret: "Where will people watch football now?", "Such a great commentary channel got shut down," and some even argued, "Letting people watch football for free wouldn't hurt!"
These opinions may sound harmless at first glance, but upon closer reflection, they reveal a worrying aspect of societal awareness. Why is a long-standing violation of the law viewed by many as a familiar form of entertainment, even one that deserves… protection?
For nearly a decade, the name Xôi Lạc TV has become a familiar address for many online football fans. With just a few clicks, any match, big or small, can appear on the screen, without subscription or fees. This convenience has led many to take it for granted. Gradually, watching free football from illegal websites is no longer considered a way to "circumvent the law" but has become a common habit in the digital age.
Many people don't understand that, in reality, that "free" isn't free at all; the costs are simply being "stolen" from elsewhere—from legitimate copyright holders, from businesses that invest seriously in production and broadcasting, and from the domestic media business environment itself.
Sports broadcasting rights, especially for international football, are always a highly valuable area. To broadcast a tournament, television stations or digital platforms have to spend enormous sums of money to purchase the rights. This is a real investment, a real risk, and also the foundation upon which they build their services for viewers. When a pirated website brazenly replays that signal without paying any cost, the nature of that act is no different from stealing someone else's product for commercial purposes.
If the issue were simply "illegal viewing," many might still think the consequences aren't too serious. However, the reality is that behind illegal streaming sites like Xôi Lạc TV lies an entire ecosystem of illicit profit-making. Advertisements for football betting, links to online gambling sites, malware... all can appear in streams seemingly intended for entertainment. The increasing number of viewers means increased revenue from advertising and illicit services. Each seemingly casual visit by a user inadvertently becomes a link in a chain fueling a system of profiteering in cyberspace.
On Facebook, it's easy to see comments expressing regret for Xôi Lạc TV because they liked the commentary style. Not bound by professional constraints, the commentators here often spoke freely, humorously, and sometimes bluntly. This naturalness created a sense of closeness, especially with young viewers familiar with online culture.
The appeal of entertainment is real, but the problem is that this enjoyment cannot be used to legitimize a platform that violates the law. In social life, there are many appealing things, but if they deviate from norms and cross the line between right and wrong, they must be dealt with decisively. More concerning is the regretful reaction of some viewers, which reflects a fairly common mentality: as long as they benefit, legal issues or the rights of others seem to be disregarded. In the case of Xôi Lạc TV, viewers only saw the immediate benefit – watching football for free – and rarely considered the consequences.
A healthy media market cannot exist if copyright infringement becomes commonplace. When legitimate businesses are constantly challenged by illegal platforms, the incentive to invest will gradually diminish. In the long run, fans will be the ones who suffer because if copyright is not respected, international partners may reconsider selling broadcasting rights to the Vietnamese market or raise prices significantly to compensate for the risks. In other words, today's habit of "watching for free" may cost viewers the opportunity to watch legally in the future.
In the internet age, technology allows anyone to create a streaming website in a very short time. Therefore, the fight against piracy platforms will never end if it relies solely on technical or legal measures. The root of the problem still lies in user perception. Without viewers, websites like Xôi Lạc TV will disappear on their own, but as long as traffic remains massive, other versions will certainly continue to appear under new names.
Therefore, dismantling this system is not just about dealing with a copyright infringement ring. It's also an opportunity for society to re-examine its online content consumption habits. We often talk about building a creative economy, encouraging the production of high-quality content, and respecting the hard work of professionals… but these values will be difficult to realize if users still consider the use of pirated products a minor issue.
Football is a shared joy. High-stakes matches always evoke special emotions, making millions willing to stay up late and wake up early to watch. The desire to watch football easily and conveniently is a perfectly legitimate need. However, this joy cannot be outside the law and cannot be built on infringing on the rights of others.
