In 2023, around 17% of Portuguese people accessed or streamed content from illegal sources to watch sporting events. Among young people aged 15 to 24, more than a third (34%) admit to using illegal online channels to watch sports. These are the findings of a study by the European Union Institute of Intellectual Property (EUIPO), published as Portugal looks forward to the 2024 European Football Championship and the approaching Olympic Games in Paris.
Illegal online broadcasting affects all types of content, including sporting events, and the EUIPO estimates that piracy across all media in the European Union (EU) generates €1 billion in illicit revenues annually.
The study found significant trends across the EU related to online piracy of live sporting events, with 12% of the total population accessing or streaming content from illegal online sources to watch sporting events. Bulgaria is the country where the practice is most common, with 21% of total respondents admitting to using illegal online sources to watch sporting events, followed by Greece (20%), Ireland (19%), Spain (19%) and Luxembourg (18%).
According to the same document, young citizens aged 15 to 24 reported illegal access to online sports events at twice the rate of the general population. Streaming is the most popular method of accessing illegal television content, with 58% of piracy in the European Union occurring via streaming and 32% via downloading.
Author: Sonia Diaz
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.