Dodgy boxes vs streaming costs: why Irish users risk piracy despite security warnings

Rising subscription costs and content fragmentation are pushing some viewers towards illegal streaming despite legal and cyber security risks

'You’re getting double-charged, you’re getting charged for things that aren’t even brand new.' File picture

“You basically need to know someone who knows someone to get a dodgy box. And then you just usually meet them in a car park, you give them the cash, and they give it to you in a box, and you take it home.” 

Those are the words of Barry (not his real name), who said he’d rather pay €150 a year for a ‘dodgy box’ than spend nearly €2,000 a year on all subscriptions, such as Sky, Netflix, Disney+, Prime, as well as myriad other streaming services.