UK Anti-Piracy Report Counts VPN Geo-Unblocking as Illegal Streaming

Last Updated on September 8, 2026 by Matte Akerson

A new UK report from the BeStreamWise anti-piracy campaign counts using a VPN to watch content that's only available in other countries as illegal streaming. The definition sits alongside hacked Firesticks, torrents and social-media piracy in “The Price of Piracy,” which says illegal streaming costs UK broadcasters £1.35 billion a year.

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What Happened

The report, “The Price of Piracy,” was written by the consultancy WPI Economics and released by BeStreamWise, the anti-piracy group backed by Sky, the Premier League, FACT, the BBC and the UK Intellectual Property Office. It puts the annual loss to UK broadcasters at £1.35 billion, links that to 10,400 fewer jobs and £366 million in lost tax, and is built on a poll of 2,501 UK adults carried out by JL Partners in February. In that poll, 31% said they had streamed content illegally in the previous three months, which the authors extrapolate to roughly 16.8 million people.

The detail drawing the most attention from VPN users is how the report defines illegal streaming. It lists five activities, and one of them is “accessing content only available in other countries using a VPN.” The full list also covers hacked Firestick and Chromecast setups, unofficial websites and torrents, unofficial live-sports links, and watching via social media platforms.

Key Facts

Report: “The Price of Piracy,” by WPI Economics for BeStreamWise, published this week.
Cost estimate: £1.35 billion a year in lost broadcast revenue, split between roughly £700 million from live sports and £653 million from film and TV.
Jobs and tax: 10,400 fewer jobs, including 4,200 in broadcasting and media production, plus £366 million a year in lost tax.
What that pays for: the tax loss is the equivalent of 9,400 qualified NHS nurses or 140 million free school meals.
Sample: poll of 2,501 UK adults (JL Partners, February); 31% admitted illegal streaming in the past three months, about 16.8 million people.
Definition: illegal streaming includes “accessing content only available in other countries using a VPN,” alongside hacked devices, torrents and unofficial sites, unofficial live-sports links, and social media.
How people pirate: 54% via social media, 28% via unofficial websites, 26% via modified devices or illegal subscriptions, and 7% bought logins for legal services.
Top reasons: cheaper than paying (38%), convenience (31%), avoiding subscriptions (24%).

What It Means

The report's framing matters because it places ordinary VPN use for geo-unblocking in the same bucket as hacked boxes and torrenting. VPNs are legal and widely used for privacy, security and travel, and this is a campaign estimate rather than a change in law. The report does not propose new legislation or site-blocking powers; its main recommendations are consumer awareness campaigns and a voluntary cross-sector framework bringing platforms, ISPs and content services together. Still, anyone who unblocks streaming libraries while traveling should know that doing so can breach a service's Terms of Service, even where VPN use itself is legal.

Related Guide

Traveling abroad and want to keep watching UK TV? Our step-by-step guide to watching BBC iPlayer in the United States covers every device and how to keep your UK streaming library on the move.

Source: TorrentFreak – “Online Piracy Costs the UK 9,400 Nurses a Year, If Pirates Keep Their Word”, and The Price of Piracy (WPI Economics for BeStreamWise).

This is a news report, not legal advice. VPNs have many legitimate uses, but whether a particular workaround breaches a platform's Terms of Service depends on your situation. Check your local laws and the terms of the services you use.