20 Million People Watched Fury vs. Usyk On Illegal Streams – ‘$120 Million Lost In Revenue’
At least 20 million people reportedly watched Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk via illegal streams.
The Undisputed Heavyweight Championship was on the line, and the winner would go down as an all-time great. Usyk would come through via a split decision win, following in the footsteps of Lennox Lewis. The fight captivated fans, with Usyk almost stopping Fury in a dramatic round nine.
Reports indicate that his illegal streams amounted to a loss of $120 million globally. Yield Sec states there is evidence of 2,000 streaming locations globally, with 18 percent watching it illegally. That amounted to four million people in the UK. The report further adds that 25 percent of those illegal streams were in North America, which amounts to 5 million people. The report stresses that the figures looked at the number of streams, not the number of people watching the streams.
Reaction
“Free streamers are not providing the service out of charity, but for their own gain… Streaming platforms may ask for your personal data to register, possibly even requiring a fee to access the platform or service. Inputting your personal details, even without payment details, leaves you open to the risk of financial or identity fraud,” Callum Baird (former cybercrime expert for Police Scotland)
“Sports piracy is theft. DAZN invests a significant amount in combatting it, using technology to monitor the activity of users, and educating fans about the risks.It may seem a victimless crime, but most illegal feeds are provided by criminal networks or carry the risk of phishing and identity theft. Our advice is don’t risk the sport you care about, or your own data, by using illegal feeds,” DAZN spokesperson
Reasons
There are several reasons for the rise of streaming. First, the event was broadcast on DAZN, ESPN, Sky Sports and TNT. Not all of these platforms are available in various countries, making it more difficult for fight fans to watch it. DAZN, despite being a global broadcaster, is not available in certain regions. There is also the suggestion that the PPV price for the event was too high.
In the US, boxing fans had to pay $69.99 to watch it. That is in addition to any DAZN subscription that fans had already shelled out for. While the UK PPV price was lower at £24.99, the current climate shows that more needs to be done to make boxing affordable. This is especially true if the big fights are now being moved from the UK and the US to Saudi.
Boxing fans have equally become unhappy with the price for DAZN’s next fight. Dmitry Bivol will headline against Malik Zinad on June 1. Bivol was meant to fight Artur Beterbiev for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title. However, Beterbiev pulled out with a knee injury. And yet, the price for the event has been set at $69.99. While the card will include a 5 vs. 5 tournament between Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren’s best boxers, it is not for undisputed.
Card
Dimitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad
Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic
Zhilei Zhang vs Deontay Wilder
Nick Ball vs Ray Ford
Hamzah Sheeraz vs Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams
Willy Hutchinson vs Craig ‘Spider’ Richards
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