A new study has revealed the Premier League fans most at risk from watching their team via dodgy Amazon firesticks.
Researchers at Casino.co.uk, who surveying 2,000 Premier League fans, suggested that Brighton fans are the biggest culprits of illegal streaming in the UK. Over a third (38.46%) of their supporters are said to be using the likes of IPTV to watch Premier League games.
Meanwhile, some 38.10% of Southampton supporters surveyed admitted to favouring ‘dodgy firesticks' over traditional media subscriptions.
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Some 36.51% of Spurs fans admitted to illegal streaming to round off the top three. Conversely, Fulham fans are the least likely to turn to such practices, with only 7.69% of the fans surveyed having said that they take illegal measures to watch their team.
Elsewhere, 46% of Premier League supporters surveyed claim they had either already used, or would consider using illegal platforms to watch Premier League action should more broadcasters continue to ramp up prices.
Moreover, 27.34% of Premier League fans already use illegal streams, instead of regulated and contracted broadcasters such as Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
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Of those surveyed, 18.59% of Premier League fans who currently pay for the appropriate services said that they would consider subscribing to illegal streams should their TV bills continue to increase.
Senior Lecturer in Sport Finance at Sheffield Hallam Dr Dan Plumley said: “Paying for these services to watch the Premier League is not cheap and if you want to see every game possible, you have to pay for multiple subscriptions with multiple providers.
“In a cost-of-living crisis, it is easy to see why fans are turning to illegal streams and the league itself are acutely aware of the challenges.
“It is difficult to put an exact figure on the cost of illegal streaming but there have been reports that it could be costing the league around £1m per match. Some estimates have that even higher when considered across the course of a year.
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“Cameron Andrews, the head of anti-piracy at beIN Sports, one of the Premier League and UEFA’s most important international rights-holders, told The Times in 2023 that pirate networks in the Middle East and north Africa alone are costing the broadcaster $1bn a year.
“The balance is tricky but things show no signs of slowing down. The most recent uplift in the total pot, linked to international rights, shows the world’s insatiable demand to watch English Premier League football.
“More eyeballs on screens ultimately means more money for the clubs and there is little doubt that the Premier League is now a global brand that the cameras want to follow.”
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The reported percentage of fans who illegally watch football games is as follows:
- Brighton & Hove Albion 38.46%
- Southampton 38.10%
- Tottenham Hotspur 36.51%
- Everton 32.69%
- Aston Villa 32.20%
- Arsenal 30.07%
- Crystal Palace 30.00%
- Liverpool 29.60%
- Manchester United 26.87%
- West Ham United 25.00%
- Wolverhampton Wanderers 25.00%
- Newcastle United 24.51%
- Ipswich Town 22.22%
- Leicester City 21.43%
- Chelsea 20.42%
- Manchester City 20.13%
- Nottingham Forest 19.44%
- Bournemouth 16.67%
- Fulham 7.69%
*Brentford – not enough data available
Chris Byfield