Football fans look for alternatives to expensive sports subscriptions
Many Dutch football fans are looking for ways to watch major international matches without taking out an expensive subscription. For the popular match between Liverpool and Manchester City, a subscription to streaming service Viaplay is currently required in the Netherlands. This raises questions among viewers who see the costs for sports broadcasts rising.
To circumvent the costs, some fans use a VPN connection. This allows them to change their internet location to another country, giving them access to foreign channels that broadcast the match for free. An example of this is the channel Idman TV, which holds the rights to broadcast the Premier League in certain regions.
Although using a VPN is technically possible, experts warn about the terms and conditions of streaming services. Bypassing geographical blocks is often in violation of the providers' user agreements. In addition, the quality of such foreign live streams is not always guaranteed and the connection can be unstable.
The discussion about the accessibility of sports matches remains topical in the Netherlands. Now that more and more sports rights are being placed with specific streaming services, many consumers feel compelled to take out multiple subscriptions at the same time. This leads to a growing need for cheaper or more flexible alternatives for sports enthusiasts.