Pay TV provider Foxtel has said it will take legal action against those who streamed the boxing match between Danny Green and Anthony Mundine live on social media.
The fight between the two Aussie veterans saw approximately 28,000 fans descend upon Adelaide Oval on Friday night, while Foxtel customers were charged nearly $60 to watch Green claim a narrow win on its Main Event channel, according to the ABC.
However, two ordinary blokes – Brett Hevers and Darren Sharpe – were hailed Aussie heroes after streaming the bout live on Facebook, racking up almost 300,000 viewers between them in a matter of minutes.
Here’s to Darren’s effort last night #smartcardsoutfordazzler #MundineGreen2 #DarrenSharpe pic.twitter.com/idNghqUDez
— George Terzanidis (@Terzanidis) February 4, 2017
#DarrenSharpe pic.twitter.com/0100k5prTM
— Todd Burton (@Todd_Burton) February 4, 2017
All is right with the world. Loved watching the #bretthever live feed! ??? https://t.co/G7x62eIhHv
— Karen Cramb – KCST (@kcstnews) February 3, 2017
Even NSW senator Sam Dastyari showed his support for Hevers’ streaming efforts.
Brett Hevers for Australian of the year. It was great while it lasted….. (share if you actually gets this).
— Sam Dastyari (@samdastyari) February 3, 2017
The ABC reported that Foxtel managed to remotely disable Hever’s subscription. However, he just seemed to pass the baton onto Sharpe, who started another streaming feed within minutes.
Sharpe told the ABC he received a call from a Foxtel representative during the sixth fight on the card, between Cooper and Jack McInnes, asking him to stop streaming.
The conversation was uploaded on YouTube a short time later…
Sharpe has since created started a Go Fund Me page asking for people to donate “in case I end up getting sued”.
Foxtel boss Peter Tonagh confirmed the broadcaster would take legal action against those who streamed the boxing match live on Facebook.
“It’s very clear to us that he knew that what he was doing was illegal. We advised him that what he was doing was illegal,” he said.
“We stopped the streaming of the content to his set-top box on the basis that it contravened the terms of use of his residential subscriber agreement.”
One lawyer told the ABC that people who live-streamed the event on Facebook could be fined up to $60,000 or face five years in the slammer.
