Featured Image Credit: Photo: Getty Images
Topics: Boxing, IPTV, Oleksandr Usyk
Ben McAleer
Cyber experts have warned about the dangers of watching Oleksandr Usyk’s fight with Daniel Dubois illegally using IPTV or via a fire stick.
Usyk beat Dubois in Poland two years’ ago with the Ukrainian’s unified belts on the line, while the Briton defends his IBF title. Fans can tune in to watch the fight exclusively on DAZN PPV for £24.99 with a seven-day free trial to DAZN. Alternatively, viewers who sign up to DAZN annual plan, which works out at £14.99 per month, will get the PPV fight for free.
It may be the final time that DAZN host a major fight on their Pay Per View platform, with Saudi sports promoter Turki Alalshikh declaring “there will be no more [pay-per-view] pricing” for his future Riyadh Season/Ring boxing events.
Alalshikh is a minority owner in the streaming platform DAZN, but has previously expressed concerns in the Pay Per View strategy, suggesting that it dampens attention to the sport. Industry experts believe the strategy is to prevent the hop-on, hop-off behaviour of fans on platforms like DAZN.
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“I’m sure the business decision was made by the Saudis, because they are investing in DAZN. The future may be that the Saudis own DAZN,” said one anonymously. “If you’re going to own boxing and DAZN, then all of the fights are going to be on DAZN, and you want it known to the fans that if you don’t subscribe to DAZN, you aren’t going to see these fights.”
Even so, fans have been warned not to use Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) as a means to watch the Wembley bout, which has risen in recent years due to ever increasing costs of PPVs fights.
IPTV allows users to illegally stream content through broadband services, though has been the subject of a crackdown in recent months.
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Last year, a 29-year-old was handed a custodial sentence as a result of loading and watching illicit streams on a fire stick.
And ahead of Tyson Fury’s fight with Usyk last year, the CEO of BeStreamWise, Kieron Sharp, warned about finding ways to illegally stream the fight.
“Choosing to bypass official channels to watch the highly anticipated Fury vs Usyk fight this Saturday isn't just risky - it's illegal and can expose you to serious dangers,” Sharp said.
“Illegal streaming puts consumers at risk of malware, financial theft, and the compromise of personal data, such as emails, photos and browsing history. During events of high viewership, fraudsters are targeting unsuspecting viewers.
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“BeStreamWise is dedicated to raising awareness about the significant dangers of illegal streaming, educating on the facts, and ensuring consumers know where to safely watch the content they love.
“Boxing fans should enjoy the fight offered by official providers, rather than facing the risks of being a target to criminal operations.”
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Coverage for Usyk vs Dubois starts at 17:30 GMT on Saturday (19 June) live on DAZN, while the main event ring walks are scheduled for 21:45.
The big fight will be live streamed exclusively on DAZN, where PPV costs £24.99. Here's how to watch DAZN on the telly to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action: