Football fans warned there are four ways they can be traced and fined for using IPTV to illegally stream matches

The four ways that football fans can be tracked while using IPTV to illegally stream football matches have been revealed.

With several increasingly expensive streaming services and broadcast subscriptions required to watch football on television, it's never been more difficult for fans in the UK to afford to watch the beautiful game.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that some fans feel that they need to illegal streams and devices like IPTV (internet protocol television) in order to support their team from home.

However, with authorities are now clamping down hard on piracy, fans have been warned of the four ways that they can be tracked while watching football illegally.

A recent report from The Guardian revealed that football fans now have to pay 60% more than they were five years ago to watch the 15 most popular tournaments and leagues, with an estimated price of around £140.21.

This almost certainly explains the reported rise of Brits using illegal streams, with roughly one million more people are expected to use it over paid-for digital TV in the next few years.

While using IPTV isn't illegal in itself, and neither is bypassing a media device's operating system by using something like an Amazon Fire stick, it is illegal to watch premium content for free when doing so would normally require a subscription.

And last year, a historic court ruling in Spain revealed what could one day happen in the UK.

Dozens of Premier League matches are illegally streamed every season. (Image: Getty)

A judge at Barcelona's Commercial Court number eight passed a ruling allowing those illegally streaming La Liga matches to be tracked.

The ways that users of illegal streams can be tracked include:

1. IP address assigned to the user when they accessed the Server that enabled the audiovisual content to be shared unlawfully;
2. Name and surname of the holder of the Internet access service contract;
3. Postal address of the [internet] line installation and billing details; and
4. Identification document [NIF, NIE, other] regarding the information of the IP Address of the server to which you have connected, port of the server to which you have connected, and time of the request (GMT+0).

The court order states that Spanish internet service providers must now hand over details of any user who watches La Liga for free