The 2026 Champions League final match was one of the largest sports events of the year, attracting millions of viewers. However, beneath the surface, there was another concerning statistic – the high number of illegal streams.
According to the Gaming Compliance International (CGI), the Champions League final attracted 16.2 million illegal streams in the UK. The figure was more than double the number of people who legally streamed the match (7 million).
Streaming paywall is to blame for rising digital piracy in sports
Streaming paywall was mostly to blame for the high number of illegal streams during the UEFA Champions League final match.
The Arsenal vs. PSG match was broadcast by HBO Max, which became the official streaming home of TNT Sports in the UK in March 2026. This year, the platform ended a long-standing tradition of offering the final match for free to the UK audience.
Consequently, this left many UK sports fans without access to a free legal platform. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of these fans turned to illegal streams.
Live sports fragmentation and rising subscription costs
Besides streaming paywalls, the fragmentation of live sports is another factor leading to an increase in digital piracy.
The growth of the streaming industry in the past few years has led to broadcast rights fragmentation, where rights for major sporting events are split between several platforms.
The growth of sports streaming is good news for the streaming industry. However, for fans, it means subscribing to multiple platforms to enjoy live sports.
According to a 2025 research report by Analysis, UK sports fans were paying up to 60% more to watch major live events in 2025, compared to what they were paying in 2020.
A good number of these fans who encounter increased streaming costs often pivot towards illegal sports streams to save money.
The relationship between illegal gambling and streaming piracy
The recent analysis by CGI has also revealed something troubling in the UK – the intersection of illegal sports streaming and criminal activity.
According to the analysis, many of the pirated sites that streamed the final offered ads for unlicensed gambling operations. Ismail Vali, CGI’s president, noted this worrying concern while revealing the analysis findings:
“Now, as markets shift with changing sports rights and rising costs for consumers, illegal streaming has become part of a new arms race for illegal gambling. They [illegal gambling operations] are using ‘free sports streaming’ as a unique selling point in their war against regulated gambling operators.