EUIPO Urges Sports Fans to Play Fair By Streaming Legally
As major sports events draw in huge audiences across the EU this summer, millions of European sports fans may be tempted to watch their favourite sports through unauthorised channels. However, illegal streaming jeopardises the financial stability of the sports industry and poses risks to consumers.
Therefore, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about the negative impact on the sports sector. The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) supports EUIPO’s efforts by highlighting the importance of choosing legal broadcasting channels and streaming platforms.
Play Fair: support athletes & sports organisations
Illegal streaming is not only an offence that can result in high fines in some countries; it also deprives athletes and sports organisations of funding from broadcasting rights. As supporting legitimate sources is crucial for the financial health of the sports ecosystem and ensures the continuation of major sports events, EUIPO initiated a ‘Play Fair’ campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the effects of buying counterfeit sporting goods and illegally streaming sports events. It calls upon sports fans to only buy authorised merchandise and watch sports through official channels, so we can still enjoy events such as European and World Championships, the Tour de France, and the Olympic Games in the future.
Risks of illegal streaming for consumers
Consumers who engage in illegal streaming risk becoming victims of dangerous malware, phishing, personal data theft, and intrusive advertising. They are often unaware of these risks and may not realise that it also harms their favourite athletes, or that they could be financing criminal activities by subscribing to illicit broadcasting platforms. Therefore, it’s important to raise more awareness about the negative impact and highlight legal alternatives.
Legal alternatives on agorateka
Finding legal streaming channels can be challenging for consumers, as many options may mimic official channels and appear legitimate. The EUIPO addressed this challenge by developing agorateka, a platform to provide consumers with accessible and legitimate options. This EU-wide portal helps users to find authorised sources for digital content, including sports events. It lists legal and high-quality streaming services that are locally available. It has the following features:
- Comprehensive database
Agorateka offers a wide range of legal sources for sports content, making it easier for consumers to find and choose legitimate streaming options. - User-friendly interface
The platform's user-friendly design allows users to navigate easily and locate the content they are looking for quickly. - Promoting legal consumption
By providing a centralised resource for legal digital content, agorateka helps reduce the demand for illegal streams and supports the sports industry's economic health.
The agorateka platform does not only focus on sports events but also lists legal sources for music, movies, television series, e-books, and video games. With this platform, consumers can be sure they are directed to official websites. Moreover, if they land on illegal platforms that were taken down by the authorities, they are redirected to agorateka. This way, they can choose to use a legal source instead.
Want to know more?
Read more about the effects of illegal sports streaming on EUIPO’s website: Foul play: The high cost of IP infringement in sports - EUIPO (europa.eu).
Find legal streaming options on agorateka - The European online content portal.
Agorateka was presented to the European Commission in 2017 and is included in its recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events.
A study from The European Parliamentary Research Service is available here: Challenges facing sports event organisers in the digital environment | Think Tank | European Parliament (europa.eu).