Following a recent crackdown, the legal consequences for viewers caught bypassing official broadcasters to watch illegal sports streams are stark
05:00, 30 Nov 2025Updated 09:30, 30 Nov 2025
Young man holding television remote control(Image: Getty Images)
Waterford has come out on top of an all-Ireland table – for dodgy box sports streaming.
A new study has revealed the staggering scale of illegal sports streaming across Ireland – with the Munster city emerging as the country’s undisputed capital of piracy.
And punters there and elsewhere have now been warned they are putting themselves at risk of prosecution – and even jail.
Viewers caught bypassing official broadcasters to watch everything from Premier League soccer to Formula 1 could face up to five years in prison or a colossal €127,000 fine, according to the research, which comes amid a renewed crackdown by copyright authorities.
The eye-opening data, compiled by The Winners Enclosure betting website using Google search volume per capita, paints a clear picture of Ireland’s viewing habits, exposing a crisis that has now drawn the attention of gardai and major rights holders.
The examination shows that Waterford topped the list, with a staggering 97.17 searches for illegal streaming methods per 10,000 residents each month.
Waterford is out in front when it comes to illegal sports streaming in Ireland (Image: Getty Images)
It was a close race at the top, with the rest of the top five hotspots showing similar levels of illegal activity. Limerick was a narrow second at 95.69 searches per 10,000 residents, followed by Dublin in third place with 90.26.
The list was rounded out by Drogheda in Louth (87.89) and Navan in Meath (85.58) in fourth and fifth place respectively.
While Dublin ranked third on a per-capita basis, its sheer population size meant that residents around the capital made the most searches overall, with a massive 5,350 illegal streaming searches every month.
The study examined a range of search terms, including ‘Football stream,’ ‘IPTV sport,’ ‘Free F1 stream,’ and ‘Horse racing stream free,’ to gauge the scale of the black market for live sport.
The all-Ireland top ten also featured Lisburn in Antrim (75.81), Galway (70.69), Dundalk in Louth (64.10), Cork (63.51), and Belfast (26.06), which ranked tenth.
Residents of Limerick, Dublin, and Drogheda all search for illegal streams at a higher rate than almost any city in the entire UK, with only Norwich in England recording a higher per-capita volume than Waterford.
Dodgy-boxes have become widely used in Ireland
The findings are released at a time when legal authorities and anti-piracy bodies are intensifying their efforts, shifting their focus away from just the suppliers and distributors of illegal streams to the end-users themselves.
Following a recent crackdown, the legal consequences for those caught are stark.
Ireland’s Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 is the central piece of legislation that protects the broadcasting rights of content owners.
Breaching this law can result in the maximum punishment of five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to €127,000, with the legislation specifically protecting the rights holders’ right to broadcast and making it an infringement to bypass technological protective measures—the very mechanism employed by so-called ‘dodgy boxes’ or ‘jailbroken fire sticks.’
This robust approach to protecting intellectual property was underscored by a landmark Irish High Court earlier this year.
David Dunbar agreed to pay Sky some €480,000 in damages and at least €100,000 in costs when his case was heard at the High Court in Dublin at the end of July.
David Dunbar pictured with reporter Michael O’Toole at his home in Manors Crescent, Roxborough Manor in Wexford
It was alleged he earned up to €450,000 annually by providing thousands of people with unauthorised access to content.
Mr Dunbar consented to judgment against him after opting not to defend the civil case, brought by Sky UK Limited over his infringement of the broadcaster’s copyright.
Mr Dunbar, with an address at Manor Crescent, Roxborough Manor, Co Wexford, was previously described by Sky as a “top-level” copyright infringer who may have earned up to €450,000 a year from operating an illegal streaming service. The broadcaster alleged that Mr Dunbar provided thousands with access to its copyrighted broadcast material since 2018.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which works with broadcasters and law enforcement across Ireland and the UK, has been spearheading the campaign. Legal notices have already been served to retailers in nine counties, but the ultimate target appears to be the estimated 400,000 households across Ireland believed to be using illegal streaming devices.
The financial risk is now moving closer to the average consumer’s door. Rights holders are increasingly keen to follow the precedent set in other European countries, specifically Italy, where a similar crackdown saw direct administrative fines issued to thousands of users.
In Italy, following the seizure of subscriber data from sellers, fines were issued that could reach as high as €5,000 for the end-user. The ability to directly fine consumers, which would mark a major departure from previous enforcement tactics, is a looming threat for users of these illegal services nationwide.
The illegal streaming boom is intrinsically linked to the rising costs of legitimate sports packages, with users flocking to illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services, which often charge as little as €50 a year for access to hundreds of premium channels.
When it comes to the most popular illegal content, the research found that Football is overwhelmingly the most-watched sport on illegal streaming platforms. This is followed by horse racing, then Formula 1, and finally boxing.
In Waterford, the specific search terms were telling, with ‘Football stream,’ ‘IPTV sport,’ and ‘Free F1 stream’ being among the most highly-searched-for terms. Drogheda residents, in particular, were found to be the most likely to illegally stream horse racing.
Alex Beecham, Managing Director of The Winners Enclosure, issued a stern warning about the potential consequences for viewers.
“Our study reveals the shocking number of people who look to find streams for sport illegally. It’s important to remember that if you are ever caught watching sport on a laptop, phone, or with a jailbroken fire stick, you are liable to be prosecuted,” he said.
Beyond the threat of legal action, he also highlighted the often-overlooked security risks. “Watching streams leaves you open to security and virus issues on your devices.”
Authorities have confirmed they are continuing to target any areas where data indicates a high level of illegal streaming activity. This clear warning should serve as a serious deterrent to dishonest viewers and the hundreds of thousands of Irish households now facing the risk of a life-altering fine or even a prison sentence.
Here’s how the top 10 Irish cities ranked for illegal sports streaming volume:
Rank
City / Town
Number of Searches Per 10,000 Capita
1
Waterford
97.17
2
Limerick
95.69
3
Dublin
90.26
4
Drogheda
87.89
5
Navan
85.58
6
Lisburn
75.81
7
Galway
70.69
8
Dundalk
64.10
9
Cork
63.51
10
Belfast
26.06
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