Illegal sports streaming is a significant problem for sports broadcasters. A recent survey has shed light on the extent of illegal sports streaming in the European Union. According to the data compiled here by SafeBettingSites.com, illegal sports streaming is currently most popular in Bulgaria (21%) and Greece (20%) among EU nations.
21% of Bulgarians used illegal sports streams
As per the recently published survey on the state of illegal sports streaming in the European Union, Bulgaria is the most guilty country among EU nations of illegal sports streaming. The survey was conducted among 25,824 residents aged 15 and older in all EU Member States.
The survey, conducted in 2023, asked the participants whether they had used illegal means to watch sports live during the past year. As per the results available on Statista, Bulgaria topped the chart, with 21% of survey participants from the country admitting yes to the question. Greece was not far behind, with 20% admitting they had used illegal streams during the past year. Ireland and Spain were next at 19%, followed by Luxembourg at 18%.
At the other end of the table, the lowest share of participants from Hungary admitted to using illegal sports streams during the past year. Hence, Hungary is at the bottom of the table, with only 6% of its residents admitting to using illegal streams. Finland and Austria are next best at 8%, followed by Slovakia, Germany, and Denmark at 9%.
Dedicated websites are the biggest source of illegal streaming in the European Union
The people who admitted to using illegal streams were also asked about what means they use to access such streams.
Dedicated websites came out at the top, with 43% of the surveyed saying that they use such websites to watch sports. Social Media/Messaging apps were next, with 32% of the surveyed picking them as an option.
Dedicated apps came next at 23%, followed by P2P Networks and IPTV services, both at 19%.
