Nearly 20% of French people watch sports illegally, piracy still has a bright future ahead of it

Arcom reveals that approximately 1 in 5 French people watch sports content illegally. A figure that does not seem likely to decrease despite the agency's efforts to stem the phenomenon.

It's no secret: watching sports on television is partly done through illegal means. That is, without paying the streaming services that own the broadcasting rights, such as DAZN for Ligue 1 football, among others. Too expensive, not enough interesting matches... Any excuse is good enough to justify this behavior, but the result is the same. In France, the practice is quite widespread.

The latest report from Arcom, the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority, reveals that in 2024, 18% of French people watched sports content illegally. Contrary to what one might imagine, the rate remains very stable since it was 17% in 2023. On the other hand, we note significant increases on several points. For example, the use of IPTV is on the rise: 41% of users have been using it for less than a year, compared to 26% in 2023.

Approximately 1 in 5 French people access sports content illegally according to an Arcom report

Football remains the most pirated sport, with 5% of French people watching it without paying. The most pirated competition is, unsurprisingly, Ligue 1. Arcom also reveals a more surprising figure, namely that 60% of people watching sports without paying are subscribed to legal platforms such as beIN Sport or Canal+. For its part, the agency is increasing its efforts to combat the phenomenon, and it's not doing things by halves.

Last year, it blocked 1,769 domain names related to pirate IPTV, compared to only 77 in 2023. In total, 10,006 blockages have taken place since 2022 based on decisions and notifications from Arcom. According to the organization, this has ultimately discouraged 71% of illegal viewers, who now no longer use illegal services. It's also worth remembering that France would like to introduce a sports piracy offense with a hefty fine. It wouldn't affect customers, but they are not immune to change.