Inside football’s piracy economy: 16 million illegal streams of the Champions League final
The 2026 UEFA Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal, broadcast exclusively behind a UK paywall for the first time under Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports and HBO Max platforms, triggered a surge in illegal streaming activity. According to Gaming Compliance International (GCI), the match generated 16.2 million illegal stream views in the UK alone, reigniting debate over sports broadcasting paywalls, subscription fragmentation and football piracy economics.
