UEFA has succeeded in an application to the Irish High Court for the extension of an order banning illegal streams of Champions League and Europa League matches.
The order was first granted at the start of the 2020 season and will now run to the end of the 2023 season.
The court heard original pleas that the prevalence of illegal streams was damaging UEFA’s revenue capacity and that not enough was being done by internet service providers including Sky, Virgin, eir and Vodafone to prevent their being easily accessed.
A UK Survey from 2018 showed at that time that as many as one third of those between the ages of 18 and 24 were watching sport on illegal streams on a regular basis.
Virgin Media held the right to broadcast Champions League games in Ireland over the last four years but stepped away from the bidding for the rights through to 2024.
RTÉ will still show Tuesday night Games and the Final of the tournament but the exclusive rights in Ireland for the remaining matches was won by LiveScore, the mobile application that delivers real-time score updates.
Similar barring orders are in place to prevent illegal provision of Premier League matches here and in Britain.
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