The flurry of activity from law enforcement to block illicit streaming across the UK continues.
In recent months, police working with anti-piracy organisation FACT and Sky TV triggered a nationwide operation, closing 3,000 adverts on social media for illegal IPTV services offering cut-price access to Sky Sports and other pay-TV channels, and handing out cease-and-desist orders to 40 people from Essex to Dundee.
At the time, officers issued a warning, stating: "this is just the start of our enforcement efforts".
To watch live sports, boxsets, and films from Sky TV legitimately, you'll need a set-top box from the brand — like Sky Stream (pictured), Sky Q, Sky+ HD, or Sky Glass — and an active subscription. The firm's sister service, NOW (formerly NOW TV) also unlocks access to the same selection of content
SKY TV PRESS OFFICEAnd now, we've seen a fresh crackdown on illicit streaming. Police arrested a 38-year-old man in Wolverhampton on suspicion of copyright and money laundering offences. Police executed the operation in the early hours of October 15. The unnamed man is accused of selling illegal streaming packages that provide access to paid-for Sky TV channels.
Even with the best Sky Stream deals, packages with the premium UK broadcaster start from £20 a month, or £240 a year. Criminals have capitalised on the ongoing cost-of-living crisis by offering access to many of the same exclusive television shows, movies, and sports fixtures at a fraction of the cost via illicit streams.
These can be delivered via a web browser or a repurposed streaming dongle, like the Fire TV Stick. The low cost of this streaming hardware — designed and built by Amazon — is often used by criminals to offer a painless way to watch copyrighted material at a fraction of the cost. Modified Fire TV Sticks, sometimes referred to as “fully loaded”, can be used to unlock access to live Premier League streams, the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and exclusive series from HBO, Netflix, and Disney+, to name just a few.
The latest operation was conducted by officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. The PIPCU also executed search warrants at four business addresses in Wolverhampton and Coventry, seizing a server used to host the illegal streaming service. The service has since been shut down.
Those who had paid to watch this illicit Sky TV streaming service will no longer be able to access the channels in their subscription. Since it's an illegal operation, there's no recourse for refunds.
Specialist officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit shutdown a server that was being used to beam Sky TV streams to people across the UK
HANDOUT FROM POLICE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CRIME UNIT
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said: "Illegal streaming is a huge issue for the entertainment and creative industries and, while it may seem like a low-risk, high-reward crime, the proceeds are used to fund other serious forms of criminal activity.
"At the same time, it can expose end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware. The message of this operation is clear: if you sell illegal streaming services, you will be caught and held to account for your actions."
Live sport fixtures drive a vast number of illicit streams, data from YouGov shows, with millions of Britons risking their personal data, credit cards, and more, to watch premium content for free
YOUGOV
According to data from BeStreamWise — an anti-piracy campaign group backed by the UK Government’s Intellectual Property Office, Crimestoppers, FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft), Sky, and the Premier League — one in three people who watch content illegally in the UK report that they or someone they know have fallen victim to fraud or identity theft as a result.
Illicit streaming platforms don't have the guardrails to protect your devices from malware or shield your payment details as legitimate providers, like Netflix, Sky and Disney+.
A 2023 YouGov poll found that one in 10 people in Great Britain admitted to streaming sport content illegally — despite these worrying dangers. Britons who use these services may unknowingly expose themselves to cybercriminals seeking to harvest personal data and financial information.
Aside from the impact to your own devices and bank account, illegal streaming also has a devastating effect on the entertainment industry. Figures from the Intellectual Property Office reveal an annual loss of £9 billion to the UK economy through counterfeiting and piracy. This illicit activity is estimated to cost around 80,000 jobs each year.
Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, stated: "When people illegally stream they provide their personal information to criminals and the risks that result are very real. We are grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for leading this action. We’ll continue to do everything we can to protect our content from theft, and to help keep consumers safe."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The crackdown on illegal streaming services in the UK continues to intensify.
In a recent case, a man from County Derry in Northern Ireland was sentenced to four years for setting up an illegal streaming service. His wife also received a suspended sentence.
Police have warned that users of these services are committing an offence and can be identified and prosecuted, telling those who commit this type of crime to "expect a knock at the door" .
Streaming copyrighted material for free without permission from the rightsholders is against the law in the UK. It carries a maximum penalty of unlimited fines or a custodial sentence of up to 10 years.
Downloading and streaming — which is just temporarily downloading to your device — are the same offence in the eyes of the law, despite what some mistakenly believe. Under UK law, there is no legal “grey area” around streaming rather than downloading content.
