Streaming Fury vs Usyk for free has 'serious risks', UK boxing fans warned

Watching a free stream of Fury vs Usyk carries a slew of little-known risks, a leading expert has warned. The feverishly-anticipated boxing match between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, dubbed the Ring Of Fire, took place from 11pm BST on May 18, 2024. The fight sensationally saw Oleksandr Usyk become the new undisputed world heavyweight champion as a result of a split decision.

Usyk was rushed to hospital for a scan on an injury that his promoter Alex Krassyuk refused to disclose after inflicting the first loss of Fury’s career in an enthralling clash that surpassed expectations. Tyson Fury has since claimed his defeat was due to judges sympathising with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk over the war in his country.

If you missed any of the action, it's still available to stream on DAZN, Amazon's Prime Video service, TNT Sports via Discovery+, and Sky Sports HD with Box Office prices set at £24.99 across all services for the fight from the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh.

Boxing fans looking to save money might be tempted to seek out free live streams for Fury vs Usyk across social media as well as popular set-top boxes, like cracked Fire TV Sticks and other IPTV devices, sometimes referred to as Kodi Boxes.

But fans could get much more than they bargained for.

With millions desperate to catch the clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, scam artists and hackers will leverage this popularity to spread malicious software, steal credit and debit card details, and siphon off personal information.

Live sports has seen the fastest growth rate of any pirated genre since 2018.

Ahead of the event, FACT Chief Executive Kieron Sharp told GB News: “Avoiding the official routes to legitimately watch, the highly anticipated fight between Fury and Usyk this Saturday, will be illegal and can expose consumers to serious risks. From malware installation on devices, accessing bank accounts or stealing personal data like emails, personal photos and browsing history, consumers can become a prime target for seasoned fraudsters.

“FACT is leading the way in combatting digital piracy and working with law enforcement and industry to identify those behind these criminal networks and crackdown on illegal streaming.

“FACT is proud partners of BeStreamWise.com which aims to highlight the risks of illegal streaming, inform the public of the facts and most importantly, providing information on where consumers can safely watch content they love. Boxing fans should enjoy the superior live coverage offered through official providers rather than worry about consumer risks or breaking the law."

FACT is a British organisation recognised by law enforcement, entertainment brands, and governments worldwide. Its purpose is to conduct investigations and digital forensics in the UK to protect against intellectual property crimes. In 2024, FACT was awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise for outstanding growth in international trade — the highest official award for British businesses.

Streaming copyrighted material for free without permission from the rightsholders is against the law in the UK. It carries a maximum penalty of unlimited fines or a custodial sentence of up to 10 years.

Downloading and streaming — which is just temporarily downloading to your device — are the same offence in the eyes of the law, despite what some mistakenly believe. Under UK law, there is no legal “grey area” around streaming rather than downloading content.

As the warning from FACT CEO Kieron Sharp illustrates, the dangers when looking for free live streams, free movie downloads, or TV shows online is not just the illegality of watching copyrighted material for free without permission from the rights-holders. The websites and devices that offer access to these streams can be a cesspit of malware and credit card scams.

These sites often don't impose the same content moderation and age restrictions as legitimate streamers either, with disgruntled users finding sports streams appearing next to graphic pornography and other inappropriate content too.

Ahead of the Ring Of Fire brawl, it was confirmed that officials read out the wrong figure for Oleksandr Usyk at the weigh-in. The Ukrainian WBA, IBF and WBO world champion was announced as having tipped the scales at 233lbs when the actual figure was 223lbs.

It means he will enter the ring for tonight’s undisputed world heavyweight fight in Riyadh at 15st 13lbs, considerably lighter than Fury’s 18st 10lbs.

After a week of largely respectful exchanges between Fury and Usyk, the fuse was lit for the Kingdom Arena clash at a fiery weigh-in. Fury shoved the Olympic gold medallist at the final stare-down before the unbeaten rivals meet to decide the greatest heavyweight of their generation.

The ‘Gyps King’, the WBC champion, then unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade at Usyk and promised “fireworks”.

“I’m going to knock this little f***er spark out. I’m coming for his heart, that’s what I’m coming for,” Fury said. “F*** his belts, I’m coming for his f***ing heart. F*** him and f*** all of his team too. F*** the lot of them. They can all get it if they want too, s***houses!”

Fury is seen by bookmakers as the marginal favourite to become the division’s first ruler since Lennox Lewis in 2000.

Fury vs Usyk, in numbers

Age

Fights

Wins

KOs

Draws

Losses

Rounds Boxed

Height

Stance

Reach

Weight

Tyson Fury

35

35

34

24

1

0

230

6ft 9in

Orthodox

85in

18stones 11lbs

Oleksandr Usyk

37

21

21

14

0

0

177

6ft 3in

Southpaw

78in

16 stones 6lbs

How to watch Fury vs Usyk again

Looking for legitimate streamers offering coverage of the Fury vs Usyk fight?

We've rounded up the UK streamers available. There's no difference in price, with all digital tickets for a ring-side seat costing £24.99. DAZN offers apps across Android, iPhone, Fire TV, Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Panasonic TVs, and game consoles like the Sony PS4 and PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and more. Sky Sports HD can be viewed on Sky Glass, Sky Q, Sky Stream, or on mobile devices via Sky Go.