Sources: Liverpool to cash in from crackdown as potential £100m jackpot revealed
Uefa is plotting a major crackdown on broadcast piracy in a move they hope will boost the media income of participating teams such as Liverpool, Football Insider has learned.
The development echoes recent efforts from the Premier League, who have expanded their own anti-piracy operation in the last few months.
European football’s governing body is appealing to companies in the hope of establishing partnerships that will help protect its IP rights.
Uefa wants to stop illegal streaming operations at source but also to stamp out individual instances of piracy via social media, which is a growing market for illegal streamers.
There is a consensus within the boardrooms of European clubs and Uefa itself that piracy is preventing the various Champions League TV deals from reaching their full potential.
For context, Sky Sports estimate that 10-15 per cent of their domestic Premier League viewership is lost to piracy – and the figures are likely similar on an international basis for Uefa competitions.
Liverpool earned £89.2million during their run to the final in Paris in 2021-22, where they were beaten 1-0 by Real Madrid.
A 10-15 per cent increase in broadcast cash would have seen that figure rise closer to £100m.
Liverpool exited the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage this season, again at the hands of Real Madrid.
They are seven points behind 4th-place Newcastle in the race to qualify for Europe’s premier competition in 2023-23.
Liverpool themselves are currently involved in several anti-piracy initiatives, with a particular focus on countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
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