Arsenal v PSG got 16.2m illegal stream views in UK after not being free-to-air

Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain attracted more than 16.2m views on illegal streams in the UK after not being made free-to-air. Analysis conducted for the Guardian by the technology analyst Gaming Compliance International (GCI) shows there were 16.2m illegal stream views of longer than 90 seconds, traced to 3.7m unique IP addresses. The final was watched legally on TNT Sports and HBO Max by more than 7 million people. TNT sparked a political row with its controversial decision not to make the final available free-to-air for the first time since the tournament’s rebrand as the Champions League in 1992, with Sir Keir Starmer writing to the broadcaster urging it to reconsider . TNT is understood to have been happy with its combined linear and streaming viewing figures of more than 7 million and 25.6% audience share, but the large numbers who watched illegally will be a major long-term concern for it and all broadcasters, as well as for TV rights owners such as Uefa and the Premier League. The absence of free-to-air coverage appears to have been a factor in the large numbers watching illegally. The 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, which BT Sport streamed for free on YouTube, attracted a peak audience of 12.6m. …