LONDON: UK courts have jailed illegal streaming operators, while researchers estimate that sports piracy costs broadcasters about £700m annually. Recent sentences include a six-and-a-half-year prison term.
A Lancashire operator received that sentence in August after running a service that police said generated almost £1m in illicit profits. Separately, a Pembrokeshire seller received more than three years in prison in June.
In another August case, a Merseyside operator received a suspended 32-month sentence. Courts have fined pubs for screening matches without permission.
However, audience research suggests enforcement faces a large market. Around half of British sports fans admit using unofficial ways to watch paywalled content, according to consultancy Ampere Analysis.
Its researcher Daniel Monaghan puts regular use above 70% among people aged 18 to 34. The figure exceeds half among 35-to-44-year-olds and reaches roughly a third among those aged 45 to 64.
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High prices help explain the demand. Britain’s Intellectual Property Office identifies perceptions of unfair or expensive legal services as a major driver of unauthorised access.
Meanwhile, fans following several competitions may need subscriptions across Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Premier Sports and DAZN.
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Combined costs can reach £80-£100 a month. WPI Economics produced the annual loss estimate in research commissioned by anti-piracy campaign BeStreamWise.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), an industry-funded organisation, warns that illegal services can expose customers to fraud and personal data theft. “Organised crime is behind this,” said Nick Sumner, FACT’s investigations manager.
Although broadcasters remove hundreds of thousands of illegal streams each year, replacements emerge, often overseas, Monaghan said. Sumner described consumer education as FACT’s current priority.
