The UFC dubbed Connor McGregor’s fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov as the “biggest Pay-Per-View” show in the organization’s history. And so, while McGregor and Nurmagomedov were battling in the Octagon on Saturday, the UFC was working with anti-piracy firm VFT Solutions to combat illegal streaming of the event.
VFT Solutions tracks the sources of illegal streams, shared through social media, in real time, and also monitors the fans who are consuming the copyrighted content, “disrupting the false belief that viewers are anonymous” according to an official UFC press release. VFT also provided those viewers with a link for viewing of the fight, attempting to provide them with a legal alternative.
“Make no mistake. Live streaming a UFC event without our permission is theft,” said Hunter Campbell, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of UFC, in the press release. “You are robbing UFC and the incredible men and women who compete in the Octagon. With assistance from VFT Solutions, we can identify all those who are participating in this unlawful conduct, shut it down, and direct fans to legitimate viewing sites.”
Tickets for UFC 229 between McGregor and Nurmagomedov sold out within three minutes of going on sale. This was McGregor’s first UFC bout since 2016, while Nurmagomedov sought to defend his lightweight title. The Russian mixed martial artist defeated McGregor in the fourth round via submission.
SportTechie Takeaway
Fans in the U.S. and Canada who wanted to legally watch UFC 229 had to pay $54.99 for standard definition and $64.99 for high definition streams. While there has been no indication so far that UFC plans to pursue legal punishment against illegal streamers, other sports organizations and media providers have taken such action in the past.
Earlier this month, Qatar-based broadcaster beIN launched a $1 billion claim against broadcasters in Saudi Arabia, alleging that they have been illegally re-transmitting a large amount of BeIN’s sports content. In April, a British man was fined £45,000 ($58,800) for illegally streaming and sharing Sky Sports content, including English Premier League matches.