Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain draws 16.2m illegal UK streams

Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Illegal streams in the United Kingdom recorded 16.2 million views longer than 90 seconds.

Gaming Compliance International traced the illegal views to 3.7 million unique IP addresses. All IP addresses originated from the United Kingdom.

TNT Sports broadcast the final in the United Kingdom. HBO Max also streamed the match. Combined legal audience exceeded 7 million viewers.

The final was not made free-to-air in the United Kingdom. Lack of free-to-air access coincided with high illegal streaming numbers.

Broadcasters may reconsider free-to-air strategies for future Champions League finals. The scale of illegal viewing is likely to influence future rights negotiations.