Press Release

For immediate release

1.25 million Brits admit to streaming Premier League football ILLEGALLY last year

  • Almost 2 million admitted illegally streaming some form of sport.
  • In total, 3.5 million have streamed tv, films or sport illegally.
  • 9 in 10 people say they used a streaming service last year.

    • 4 August 2022, LONDON –

    With the Premier League season kicking off on Friday, 1.25 million Brits (2.4%) admit to having illegally streamed at least one Premier League game over the past 12 months, according to new research from personal finance comparison site finder.com.

    This is close to the average viewership for Premier League games shown on Sky Sports, which was around 2 million people in the 19/20 season (last available average).
    More broadly, a total of 2 million people (3.8%) said they had streamed some form of sport illegally over the past 12 months, with popular sports like Formula 1, Cricket and US sports, that are not available on terrestrial, likely to contribute to this figure.

    The most popular streaming service that shows sports was Amazon Prime, with almost half (48%) of Brits saying they have watched something on it at some point in the past 12 months. This was followed by SkyGo with 17% having watched it, Now TV (that allows people to purchase sports packages with 12.6%, while BT TV had 6.8% of the population watch it.

    Movies and TV shows also saw plenty of people watching them through illicit means. 2.25 million people (4.3%) opted not to go to the cinema, pay for a movie at home or for a streaming service last year.

    Despite this, the number of people who have used streaming services has risen since Finder last conducted this research in 2019. Almost 9 in 10 people (89.1%) have used a legal streaming service over the past 12 months, up from 82% in 2019.

    Netflix remains the most popular service with 62.3% of Brits having used it, up from 54%. Disney+ is a newcomer, having not existed when the research last ran, and comes in 3rd place with 32.8% of Brits having used it (Amazon Prime was 2nd).

    Following SkyGo and Now TV is TV player with 8.9% and Apple TV + with 8%.

    To see the full research into how Brits are streaming, including age, regional and gender breakdowns, visit: https://www.finder.com/uk/tv-streaming-statistics

    ###

    For further press information

    Disclaimer

    The information in this release is accurate as of the date published, but rates, fees and other product features may have changed. Please see updated product information on finder.com's review pages for the current correct values.

    About finder.com

    finder.com is a personal finance website, which helps consumers compare products online so they can make better informed decisions. Consumers can visit the website to compare utilities, mortgages, credit cards, insurance products, shopping voucher codes, and so much more before choosing the option that best suits their needs.

    Best of all, finder.com is completely free to use. We’re not a bank or insurer, nor are we owned by one, and we are not a product issuer or a credit provider. We’re not affiliated with any one institution or outlet, so it’s genuine advice from a team of experts who care about helping you find better.

    finder.com launched in the UK in February 2017 and is privately owned and self-funded by two Australian entrepreneurs – Fred Schebesta and Frank Restuccia – who successfully grew finder.com.au to be Australia's most visited personal finance website (Source: Experian Hitwise).

    Go to site