"The cost of streaming services can add up when you're a sports fan. That's why some turn to pirated websites to follow their teams. A bill introduced in Congress aims to crack down on that practice. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Steve, OK, let me ask. Did you stay up late - I mean really late - to watch the World Series last night? STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: (Laughter) No, it was exactly the time period that I'm asleep."
"ABRAMS: Nixon watches games on YouTube TV, which costs him about $83 a month. But he lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. So some weekends, he can't watch his favorite team on an NFL-sanctioned platform. That's when he turns to NFLBITE, one of the popular foreign-based websites that illegally streams the games. The site is also free. NIXON: You know, I love my team. But, I mean, I'm not going to, "
"ABRAMS: In 2023, about 1 out of 3 NFL fans said they watched some games on illegal streaming platforms. That's according to betting site Oddspedia. And there's little to stop them. MIKE SMITH: The challenge is, under existing U.S. law, there's just not much they can do to shut down these sites. ABRAMS: That's Mike Smith, professor of information technology and policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Earlier this year, authorities shut down StreamEast, a popular network that offers unauthorized sport"
Rising streaming subscription costs and regional blackout restrictions are driving some sports fans to free, foreign-based illegal streaming sites. Fans face multiple subscription fees to follow out-of-market teams, with examples showing monthly costs around $83 and annual combined expenses exceeding several hundred dollars. An estimated one in three NFL fans used illegal streaming platforms in 2023. Existing U.S. legal tools provide limited ability to shut down many of these sites. Authorities have targeted some networks, and lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at increasing efforts to block unauthorized sports streams.
Read at www.npr.org
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