Advanced Television

Illegal sports streaming warning

July 22, 2021

By Colin Mann

Ahead of a busy weekend for televised sport, with not all events available free-to-air in the UK, Kieron Sharp, CEO of intellectual property protection body FACT has warned on the danger fans face if they choose to illegal stream the events.

“With the inaugural Hundred tournament beginning, the Lions kicking off the first of three Tests against South Africa, three major UFC fights and much more, this weekend is a really big one for live sport,” notes Sharp. “However, with many of these major events only available to stream on paid-for platforms, some fans may be tempted to turn to illegal sites in order to stream for free.”

“Consumers may be unaware of the hidden dangers of illegal streaming, and they need to understand the risks. Our research found three out of five people in the UK (62 per cent) were unaware that illegal streaming can lead to fraud, identity theft, and malware.”

“Cybersecurity firm Webroot recently found that 92 per cent of illegal streaming sites used for pirating sports content over a single weekend were promoting a range of Bitcoin and mobile app scams, as well as containing malware threats. It’s clear how prominent the threat is to unsuspecting users.”

“Fans who may be tempted to illegally stream need to remember that by doing so they could be putting themselves and their families at risk. Piracy is not a grey area – it is illegal, and so accessing these events through the official providers is the only way to ensure safe and legal viewing,” he advises.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Business, Content, OTT, OTT, Piracy, Policy, Premium, Regulation, Rights, VOD

Tags: , , , ,