Illegal streaming of major sporting events and pay-TV has reached an industrial scale, costing TV channels and sports organizations billions. According to a media analysis firm, Enders, double-digit percentages of major sporting events and pay-TV are now streamed illegally.

The analysis, based on private data from TV providers and internet data, highlights the significant financial losses incurred by rights holders. While a precise figure on the extent of the illegal streaming remains elusive, analysts emphasize that it represents a substantial threat to the industry.

The scale of the problem is amplified by the re-streaming of pirated content on social media. Tens of thousands of viewers can simultaneously access pirated streams of pay-per-view broadcasts, and that number increases when streamed over social media.

Media companies are actively combating pirate sharing by employing technology to track and block illegal streaming in real-time. Enders published its analysis of European TV data on Friday.

In related news, Denmark has surpassed five million streaming subscriptions for TV and/or film, according to Swedish media analysis company Mediavision. The past year has seen an addition of 500,000 subscriptions, driven by the availability of cheaper, ad-supported options on platforms like TV 2 Play, Viaplay, Disney+, Max, and SkyShowtime. Notably, DRTV and TV 2 Play have exceeded Netflix in viewership time, while TV 2 Play has matched Netflix in subscription numbers in Denmark. Several streaming services and TV providers in Denmark have recently increased subscription prices.