DESPITE major TV deals and broadcasters bankrolling their salaries, many professional athletes view illegal streaming of live sports as harmless.
A blunt conclusion from the Sport Industry Report 2026 found that 66% of sports professionals and 58% of fans see pirate streaming as acceptable.
The attitude comes as fans are increasingly priced out of watching sport legally.
With football rights split across multiple platforms, UK supporters could soon be paying more than £1,350 a year just to follow top-level matches on TV.
READ MORE: Home viewers of pirated La Liga soccer matches can now be fined individually in Spain
Yet the figures expose a glaring contradiction. Broadcasting deals remain the single biggest driver of player wages and club revenues, while many of those benefiting appear relaxed about fans bypassing the system entirely.
Authorities are not.
In the UK, police and rights holders have intensified their crackdown on ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks by jailing illegal streaming operators and targeting millions of users.
Spain has gone even further.
READ MORE: Telecoms firm in Murcia probed over pirated TV football matches beamed to bars and homes in Spain
In 2024, the country instructed its courts to take legal action against anyone who pirates sporting events by use of illegal websites or streaming services.
Engel Systems SL was the first company to be found guilty under the new order by a Pontevedra court for breaching copyright by selling units, and was subsequently fined €673,000.
In a recent landmark ruling by the Provincial Court of Malaga, members of a notorious illegal streaming group called Servicio-IPTV were sentenced to up to three years in prison for distributing pay-TV services, including premium content like Movistar+.
READ MORE: Spain busts the country’s most popular illegal football streaming service
The group had sold access to over 8,000 channels for as little as €50 per year, causing significant financial damage to content owners like Telefónica and Disney.
This ruling makes a sharp shift in Spain’s approach to piracy, with courts now recognising the economic harm and enforcing prison sentences.
It’s a stark reminder that while piracy may be tolerated by many – including athletes themselves – authorities are stepping up enforcement in response to its growing prevalence.
Even as these crackdowns intensify, piracy continues to rise.
According to the Sport Industry Report, 67% of fans and 50% of professionals believe attending live sport will soon be a luxury, a reality that is pushing illegal streaming further into the mainstream.
With pirated content becoming increasingly normalised, sport faces an uncomfortable choice: lower the cost of access, or continue criminalising its own audience.
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