Research: Nordics spend €280m a year on pirate streaming
September 2, 2026



In spring 2026, almost one in ten households across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had access to illegal IPTV. These households report paying an average of approximately €20 per month, according to research from Mediavision. Together, this amounts to more than €23 million per month and close to €280 million a year.

“Close to 1.2 million Nordic households pay for illegal access to TV and streaming content. Even at a relatively low monthly cost, the combined spending amounts to a sizable market alongside legal services,” commented Adrian Grande, Principal Analyst at Mediavision.


Sweden accounts for the largest number of households with illegal IPTV, at approximately 465,000. Norway and Denmark have the highest levels, both at around 12 per cent, followed by Sweden at 10 per cent. Finland has the lowest level, at 5 per cent.

The overall Nordic level is lower than in spring 2025, but the development differs between markets. The declines in Sweden and Finland are clear, while the changes in Denmark and Norway are too small to confirm a decline.

“There are encouraging signs in Sweden and Finland, but illegal IPTV still reaches a very large number of households across the Nordics. Together, households spend close to €280 million a year on content distributed without authorisation. The scale remains significant for the Nordic TV and streaming market,” added Grande.