You’d think that the UFC, a small, fringe, niche sport that is attempting to grow in popularity would try to stay in the good graces of their fans, but it turns out that just want to be taken seriously. In this modern age of the internet the lines between legal and illegal are blurred due to how prominent illegal things are. The truth is, the internet has changed everything and consumers have spoken about how much or little they are willing to spend on certain products.
In the case of the UFC and their sometimes twice-a-month PPVs, fans cannot afford them, nor do they see them as something worthy of their money. The UFC has been talking about suing illegal streamers for years now, as opposed to finding a more eloquent solution, and it looks like they’ve actually succeeded. [source]
They successfully sued at least one person under this act, and I have no reason to doubt the claims from their press release that the actual number was hundreds. In this case, the plaintiff chose not to defend the allegation, and as a result a default judgement was awarded against him.
He was ordered to pay $2,000 in statutory damages ($1,000 per event streamed, the minimum damages allowed by law), $4,000 in enhanced damages and $5,948.70 in attorney’s fees and costs. All in all streaming two Pay-Per-View events cost him $11,948.70.