ACE Continues Global Expansion, Welcomes CME as Newest Member

ACE Continues Global Expansion, Welcomes CME as Newest Member

ACE Continues Global Expansion, Welcomes CME as Newest Member

14. 5. 2026

14. 5. 2026

European Media Company’s Commitment to ACE Emphasizes Shared Commitment to Protecting IP and Supporting Creative Economy

LOS ANGELES – The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world’s leading anti-piracy coalition, today announced that Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has joined the coalition, strengthening ACE’s global network.

CME, a leading media and entertainment company operating across Central and Eastern Europe, brings to ACE a strong track record of investment in local content, trusted news programming, and responsible broadcasting. CME’s membership in ACE underscores a shared commitment to safeguarding intellectual property, supporting creative industries, and ensuring that audiences have access to legitimate, high-quality content.

“ACE welcomes CME into a global network dedicated to protecting creative content and strengthening the fight against piracy,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer with the Motion Picture Association. “Piracy has long been a cross-border challenge, but today’s threat is more sophisticated, more coordinated, and more complex. With every new member, ACE grows stronger, broadens its collective expertise, and reinforces its ability to protect content from criminal piracy networks and support lawful distribution of creative content.”

As policymakers and regulators across Europe continue to prioritize digital market integrity, CME’s participation in ACE reinforces the importance of public-private collaboration in addressing piracy. By joining ACE, CME aligns with a global coalition that partners with law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and industry stakeholders to disrupt illegal distribution networks and promote lawful consumption of content.

“Joining ACE reflects CME’s commitment to protecting creativity and ensuring a fair, predictable and sustainable media environment,” said Klára Brachtlová, Deputy CEO & Chief External Affairs, CME. “By working with ACE and its members, we aim to strengthen collective efforts to safeguard Europe’s creative industries and uphold the integrity of the audiovisual market.”

ACE’s global network includes more than 50 members, ranging from major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms to regional broadcasters and content creators. Together, ACE members leverage collective expertise, technological innovation, and coordinated enforcement actions to combat piracy at scale.

CME’s membership is particularly significant given the evolving regulatory landscape in Central and Eastern Europe, where governments are increasingly focused on strengthening intellectual property protections, supporting domestic creative sectors, and ensuring fair competition in digital markets. Through ACE, CME will contribute to – and benefit from – international best practices, intelligence sharing, and coordinated anti-piracy initiatives.

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world’s leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association’s content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE.

Contact

ACE Media Contact
Pamela Corante
pamela_corante@motionpictures.org 

CME Media Contact
Martin.civrny@cme.net

About CME

CME operates television stations in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania & Moldova, Slovakia and Slovenia, and is one of the leading media and entertainment companies in Central and Eastern Europe. CME broadcasts 47 television channels, both free- to-air and paid, and reaches a total of 49 million viewers. CME also owns and operates the Voyo SVOD platform and new over-the-top service Oneplay.