Published 11:45 5 May 2024 GMT+1

Four ways that football fans can be caught illegally watching matches using IPTV have been revealed.

Watching football on television in the UK has never been more expensive, with matches spread across a range of channels that require separate subscriptions.

Fans wanting to watch all of their side's Premier League matches, plus other European competitions, have to spend hundreds and thousands of pounds every season.

Many have turned to illegal streams and devices like IPTV (internet protocol television) in an attempt to save many, but authorities are now clamping down hard on piracy.

Using IPTV isn't illegal in itself, and neither is bypassing a media device's operating system by using something like an Amazon Fire stick. Roughly one million more people are expected to use it over paid-for digital TV in the next few years.

What is illegal is watching premium content for free when doing so would normally require a subscription. Sky Sports and TNT Sports are two of the main broadcasters whose content is streamed illegally in the UK.

Last month, a historic court ruling in Spain hinted at what could one day happen in the UK.

A judge at Barcelona's Commercial Court number eight passed a ruling allowing those illegally streaming La Liga matches to be tracked.

Spanish internet service providers must now hand over details of those who watch La Liga for free, as stated by the court order, which reads: "There are reasonable indications that content, works or services subject to the audiovisual rights of La Liga are being made available or disseminated directly or indirectly without respecting the provisions of the Intellectual Property Law."

The ways that users of illegal streams can be tracked include:

1. IP address assigned to the user when they accessed the Server that enabled the audiovisual content to be shared unlawfully;
2. Name and surname of the holder of the Internet access service contract;
3. Postal address of the [internet] line installation and billing details; and
4. Identification document [NIF, NIE, other] regarding the information of the IP Address of the server to which you have connected, port of the server to which you have connected, and time of the request (GMT+0).

La Liga president Javier Tebas said that illegal stream users identified through the new court order will not be 'fined' but rather given 'damages' to pay because it is "illegal to consume this content for free."

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Football, La Liga, Spain, Premier League