In August 2021, users generally chose between two primary ways to access their live TV and VOD (Video on Demand) content: M3U Playlists Xtream Codes API A simple text file containing channel URLs. A login interface requiring credentials. Stability Prone to breaking if the provider changes a URL. More stable; updates are handled by the server. Organization Often one long list; harder to navigate.

: Xtream Codes was a powerful Content Management System (CMS) used by thousands of IPTV providers to organize streaming data into formats like M3U for their clients.

: In September 2019, European authorities coordinated a massive raid against Xtream Codes, seizing servers and disrupting service for millions of users worldwide.

: By August 2021, the market had adapted. New "clones" and alternative APIs emerged that mimicked the original Xtream Codes login experience—requiring a Server URL, Username, and Password —which users found more reliable and faster-loading than long, complex M3U links. IPTV Formats: M3U vs. Xtream API

By mid-August 2021, the IPTV market was valued at over . Major legitimate telecommunications players like Verizon and Orange S.A. were launching their own "Lite" or regional IPTV packages to compete with the flexibility of gray-market services.