A BBC report based on an analysis by a global anti-piracy firm called Muso showed that an estimated 1 million Kenyans used unauthorized channels to watch the highly anticipated boxing match between Briton Anthony Joshua and Mexican Andy Ruiz.
Kenyans were eagerly waiting for this epic event until they learnt of the exorbitant premium they had to pay to access the TV channel airing the event.
The legal demands did not stop them from viewing this match, they devised unlicensed channels through hacks on the internet and watched the entire duel for free.
Kenya ranked second in the list of countries with the most piracy incidents right after Nigeria whose 2.35 million nationals pirated the match. United Kingdom came in third with 921,994 viewers streaming the match without paying.
Muso cited the cost consumers have to pay to access premium events through legal means has become discouraging as the multinational broadcast licence holders charge high rates, especially in third-world countries.
On several occasions, Kenyan lovers of sports have expressed frustration with the premium satellite television service providers for charging exorbitant amounts for few programs and sporting events.
International laws on live sports piracy caution against such acts and state that the legal broadcaster can sue the offenders when caught as they deny the rightful content provider a lot of revenue such as subscription fees and advertisements.
"Their (piracy offenders) motivation is the substantial rewards that can be reaped for bypassing legal rights holders. Approximately one billion people watched the final match of the FIFA World Cup last year, 900 million watched the opening ceremony of 2012 Olympics in London. These figures hint at the golden gains of advertising investment and subscription fees that can be made by those prepared to operate outside the law on a quest for revenues without paying for broadcasting rights. The offenders can and should be sued when caught as they breach the privileges entitled to the content provider," an excerpt from a guide in fighting live sports piracy globally reads.
In the energetic 7-round boxing match, Anthony Joshua surprisingly lost his heavyweight world titles to Andy Ruiz Jr.
