Worst UK cities for ‘Cheltenham and sports’ illegal streaming finally named

Manchester is the Cheltenham Festival, Premier League and F1 illegal sports streaming hotbed of Britain, alarming new data reveals.                                                                                                                                                                        Although some Cheltenham races are on ITV, which needs a TV Licence, others are on subscription-only racing channels – while other sports like Premier League football also require pay-per-view or TV subscriptions to Sky or TNT.

Now research from racing betting tip site has revealed the UK illegal streaming hotspots, by calculating the number of searches for ‘illegal streaming’ in 30 of the UK’s most populated cities.                                                                                                                                                  They also spoke to an online intelligence expert to investigate the risks posed to punters if they are caught illegally streaming races or matches in the UK.

It not only puts them at risk of a hefty £1,000 fine, but 90 per cent of illegal streams contain malware and spyware that steals and misuses your private data and can access your devices. 

The North West city of Manchester topped the findings with 286.7 illegal searches per capita of 100,000 per month, the most in the UK. 

Newcastle upon Tyne has the second-highest  with a total of 269.6 illegal streaming searches; Birmingham was third with 250.4 illegal streaming searches, closely followed by Liverpool with 245.1 searches, and fifth was Wolverhampton with 229.1 searches per 100,000 capita. 

By comparison, Londoners were found to search for illegal streams 177.5 times each month per capita of 100,000, which put London in 11th place. 

With seven races each day up until Friday March 14th, the first six Cheltenham races daily are broadcasted on ITV, but you still need a TV licence to watch or stream live television broadcasts. 

But the last race of the day is broadcast on Racing TV, a dedicated channel that viewers must have a subscription to, costing £29.98 per month. 

Ismail Vali, CEO of online intelligence company Yield Sec, confirmed punters streaming live sports without a licence run the risk of a £1,000 fine. 

However, the real danger of illegally streaming live sports is the risk of exposure to hackers.

He said: “Watching live TV, or using a streaming service like ITVX without a licence is a criminal offence under the Communications Act 2003. 

“The penalties include fines of up to £1,000, being convicted, and in some cases, those found guilty may also have to cover the costs of the investigation carried out by TV Licensing. 

Every illegal stream comes at a cost, and it’s not financial, it’s your data and security. What seems like a free or low-cost way to watch live sports is, in reality, a calculated method of exploitation. 

“Nearly nine out of ten illegal streams contain malware and spyware, designed to steal your personal information, gain access to your devices, and enable repeated misuse of your data. 

“These operations are not random; they are highly organised. Criminals generate significant revenue from illegal advertisements while simultaneously harvesting user data to expand their reach and deepen their activities. 

“Far from being free, illegal streaming costs you your privacy, your security, and your control over your own information. The real beneficiaries are the criminal enterprises profiting from your expense.”