In a recent study conducted by Online Betting Guide (OLBG), a sports betting website, it was found that a large number of UK football fans access unofficial internet streams to watch football matches. This is despite the fact that there is widespread awareness among football fans regarding illegal streaming, yet there are around 5 million fans throughout UK, who continue to access such websites on a regular basis.

“The research highlights that football fans in London are the worst culprits, as 58% of men in the capital admit to using illegal streams. A staggering 40% of football fans residing in London have also skipped work to watch football. A whopping 68% admit to using somebody else’s login on a device to watch a match, with almost one in 10 (8.8%) doing so on a regular basis.” A spokesperson for the EPL, addressed the fans of the League and stated that, illegal streaming of matches threatens the integrity of the game. Further, the success of the EPL competition depends on the audio-visual rights of the investment that ensure a high standard for the League and the fans.

Such illegal streaming can have a negative impact on the English Premier League (EPL) and can subsequently threaten to infringe upon their intellectual property. The only way to curb this is to increase awareness among the football fans and to implement strict regulations for any kind of illegal streaming.