Football and other premium TV being pirated at ‘industrial scale’

Inaction from major tech companies is facilitating widespread theft of premium video services, particularly in live sports, according to a new report.

The study by Enders Analysis criticizes Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft for their “ambivalence and inertia,” claiming this issue costs broadcasters significant revenue and exposes users to greater cyber-crime risks.

Researchers Gareth Sutcliffe and Ollie Meir identified the Amazon Fire Stick as a key device people use for accessing illegal streams, branding it “a piracy enabler.”

In response, Amazon stated that it remains “vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy.”

Sports broadcasting is a lucrative industry, with global media rights exceeding $60 billion (£44 billion) last year.

The rising costs of rights deals translate into higher prices for fans, especially those subscribing to multiple services to follow their teams.

Some fans, therefore, turn to illegal streams for major events.

Enders reports numerous streams for individual events, such as high-profile football matches, often attracting tens of thousands of viewers.

Executives from major rights holders, including Sky and DAZN, have previously warned that piracy is precipitating a financial crisis in broadcasting.

Sky Group’s COO, Nick Herm, stated that the Enders research “underscores the vast scale and effects of piracy, especially in premium live sports.”

He emphasized, “This is a significant issue for anyone investing in the creation and distribution of top-notch content.”

Herm expressed a desire for quicker and more coordinated responses from major tech firms and government to tackle this issue and protect the UK’s creative sectors.

Users are also at risk.

The report indicates that fans watching football through illegal streams often expose personal information, such as credit card details and email addresses, leaving them open to malware and phishing scams.

However, many supporters argue that reducing the cost of legal sports streaming is the best way to mitigate such risks.

The researchers examined the European market and specifically focused on Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

While Meta faced criticism for promoting advertisements for illegal streams, the other three companies’ technologies were blamed for contributing to the rise in piracy.

The Amazon Fire Stick was prominently highlighted as a significant contributor to the issue.

This device connects to TVs and offers viewers access to a plethora of programs from legitimate services, including BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

However, it is also used to access illegal streams, especially for live sports.

Last November, a man from Liverpool was sentenced for selling modified Fire Stick devices designed for illegal Premier League streams.

Following the unauthorized uploads, he advertised them on Facebook.

Another Liverpool resident received a two-year suspended sentence for altering Fire Sticks and selling them via Facebook and WhatsApp.

According to first-quarter data provided to Enders by Sky, 59% of UK respondents who reported viewing pirated material in the past year while using a physical device noted they had used an Amazon Fire product.

The Enders report states that the Fire Stick facilitates “billions of dollars in piracy” overall.

An Amazon spokesperson, being a rights holder for sports, stated: “Pirated content violates our intellectual property rights policies and compromises customer privacy and security.”

They emphasized that Amazon endeavors to protect customers from risks associated with pirated content and advised against installing apps from “unknown sources.”

Amazon has also upgraded its Fire devices to deter the streaming of pirated content.

Meta has yet to issue a response.

The researchers also noted the impact of the “ongoing decline” of Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems from major players like Google and Microsoft.

Such technology is essential for high-quality streaming of premium content, with notable examples being Microsoft’s PlayReady and Google’s Widevine.

The authors argue that the architecture of DRM has largely remained static, and due to negligence from big tech companies, both PlayReady and Widevine are “now compromised at various security levels.”

Mr. Sutcliffe and Mr. Meir stated that this has had “a significant effect across the industry, ultimately giving piracy an advantage by allowing theft of the highest quality content.”

They added, “Over two decades since their introduction, Google’s and Microsoft’s DRM solutions are in serious decline.”

“A comprehensive redesign of the technology structure, licensing, and support model is necessary. The lack of engagement with content owners shows it’s a low priority.”

Google has pointed out various measures it employs to protect content, emphasizing its commitment to tackling copyright infringement challenges.

Microsoft has not commented on these issues.