Almost five million Britons use pirate TV streaming

In its Illegal Streaming study, 10% of the population (around 4.9 million adults) currently have access to platforms such as Kodi boxes, Amazon Fire TV Chipped Sticks, and illegal streaming apps on smartphones and tablets.

The use of these is particularly high among millennials as 18- 34-year-olds account for 37% of users ( 1.8 million people).

The knock-on effect for subscription TV services is evident with one in seven ( 17%) users of the platforms – around 830,000 people – saying they have cancelled at least one paid-for TV provider.

And almost a third ( 31%) of those who use pirated streaming platforms but who have paid-for TV services believe they will cancel their subscriptions over the next 12 months.

Russell Feldman, director of digital, media and technology at YouGov, said: "This study looks at the situation both as it is and how it is set to develop in the near future. Since Kodi boxes, Amazon Fire TV Chipped Sticks, and ‘illegal’ streaming apps entered the mainstream around 12 months ago, subscription TV services have come under significant pressure. Our research indicates that things are only going to get worse in the coming year."

"Alongside the short-term problem of cancelled subscriptions is a longer term one – namely, many of the people using pirated platforms are younger. There is a real danger that having got used to getting TV services for free it will hard to convince them to pay in the future."