June 2, Beijing time (CEST) — According to The Guardian, the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG, which Arsenal lost, was streamed illegally over 16.2 million times on illegal streaming platforms in the UK due to the absence of free live broadcast coverage.

An analysis commissioned by The Guardian and conducted by technology analytics firm Gaming Compliance International (GCI) found that illegal streams of the match lasting more than 90 seconds reached 16.2 million views, with 3.7 million unique IP addresses tracked. In contrast, over 7 million viewers watched the final legally through TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Since the Champions League format changed in 1992, TNT Sports made the controversial decision to broadcast the Champions League final as a pay-per-view event for the first time, sparking political controversy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had written to broadcasters asking them to reconsider.

TNT Sports appears satisfied with its combined linear and streaming audience of over 7 million and a 25.6% audience share. However, the substantial number of illegal viewers will be a significant long-term concern for TNT Sports and all broadcasters, as well as rights holders like UEFA and the Premier League.

The lack of free live broadcast appears to be a key driver of illegal viewership. The 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was broadcast free on YouTube by BT Sport, reaching a peak audience of 12.6 million.

The exact number of illegal viewers cannot be precisely quantified, as many of the 3.7 million unique streams may represent multiple viewers. Some viewers may have switched between streams due to technical issues or forced ad refreshes, which also explains the 16.2 million total views.

Illegal streaming of paid sporting events is highly correlated with unlicensed betting. During the Champions League final, 89% of advertisements on illegal streaming platforms were from UK unlicensed betting brands, highlighting this connection.

Ismail Vali, President of GCI, stated: "There is a troubling link between illegal streaming and unregulated betting since the pandemic. During that period, with professional sports suspended, unregulated betting operators actively contacted illegal streaming platforms to create fake sporting events and betting activities to fill the void." "Now, with changes in the sports rights landscape and rising costs for consumers, illegal streaming has become part of a new 'arms race' for illegal betting. They use 'free live sports' as a unique selling point against licensed betting operators."

Despite HBO Max's monthly package starting at just £4.99, TNT Sports maintained its position of broadcasting the final exclusively on its paid channels, TNT Sports and HBO Max. Industry sources suggest that if UEFA had not moved the final's kick-off time in Budapest from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the convenience of stadium attendees, the number of legal viewers would have been even higher.

With an English club competing, TNT Sports's audience for this final increased compared to last year's final, where PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 (approximately 4.5 million). However, due to the earlier kick-off time, viewership in France declined.

TNT Sports revealed that over 9.2 million people watched at least one of the three UEFA men's football competition finals, with 3.5 million watching Aston Villa lift the Europa League trophy in the Europa League final, and 2.7 million watching the Conference League final featuring Crystal Palace. Average viewership for European competitions this season increased 5% compared to last season.

Starmer, an Arsenal supporter, joined forces with supporters' associations to issue a joint statement, publicly reiterating calls for the Champions League final to be broadcast free of charge.

TNT Sports had previously broadcast the Champions League final free on Discovery+ for two consecutive seasons, while former rights holder BT Sport provided free live coverage on YouTube.

Before BT Sport acquired the broadcast rights, the Champions League final was consistently aired on ITV. ITV held exclusive broadcast rights from the inception of the Champions League (then the European Cup for Club Champions) until 2003, when it co-held rights with Sky Sports, a situation that continued until 2015.

Traduzido por IA.