The number of Britons who stream copyrighted material for free has doubled in just three years. A booming demand for live sports has fueled the dramatic rise in illegal streaming, soaring from 1.8 billion to 3.6 billion instances, new research has shown.
At the centre of this spike in illicit streaming is football.
Its real-time appeal makes it the top piracy target, accounting for 73% of illegal sports streams. In the first half of 2025 alone, unauthorised streaming of sports drew 1.6 billion views, a 33% increase compared to the previous year.
Being caught streaming copyrighted material for free without permission from the rights-holder carries a heavy penalty in the UK, with up to 10 years in prison for those who distribute or sell access to unauthorised streams. Occasional viewers should expect cease-and-desist letters, fines, device-blocking, and home visits by policing units and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT). Police recently stepped-up efforts with new techniques.
With such risks, why are so many people turning to dodgy streams?
A big part of it comes down to what experts call “subscription fatigue.” Britons now spend an average of £72 per month on subscriptions, according to online bank Revolut. This includes everything from Spotify and Amazon Prime to Disney+ and sports packages.
Information security leader Taimur Ijlal told GB News: “Piracy today is a very formalised digital crime issue. Most illicit IPTV services and rogue streaming applications are designed to appear legitimate and therefore minimise user scepticism, thus maximising use.
“The higher risk comes when there is a high level of fragmentation in rights for live events, as users are then forced to consider lower cost alternatives that can be easily accessed.”
You can now find other music channel options from Vevo, NOW Music and Xite on platforms like Pluto TV, Rakuten TV, and Samsung TV Plus | EVERYONE TV PRESS OFFICE
What is piracy?
Piracy is traditionally associated with…