Premier League streamers have been sent a stark warning about their illegal activities after two brothers were handed a total of 11 years behind bars between them for their illicit activities.
The English Premier League - commonly referred to as 'the best football league in the world' - is set to kick off again this Friday (16 August) after nearly three months off our TV screens.
There's no doubt that football fans up and down the country will be gearing up to watch their favourite team this weekend - however we have bad news to anyone hoping to catch the action via an illegal site.
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A landmark blow against illegal streaming came this week when two brothers were handed a combined sentence of 11 years in prison for their role in broadcasting PL matches illicitly.
The case comes as part of a huge UK wide crackdown on internet protocol television (IPTV) streaming, which is typically accessed through the use of jailbroken Fire Sticks.
Brothers Amir Butt, 56, and Ammar Hussain, 39, were jailed after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud between August 2012 to March 2019 after providing access to premium paid for content for just £200 a year.
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The subscription would give buyers illegal access to premium paid for sports, entertainment and movies from providers which included Sky. It is understood that the brothers are thought to have made hundreds of thousands of pounds through their actions.
Butt and Hussain's illicit enterprise eventually came tumbling down after they were caught out by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), who have been working alongside UK police to bring illegal streamers to court.
Hussain was sentenced yesterday (13 August) and received four years in jail, while Butt was sentenced last September after failing to show up at court and handed a seven-year sentence.
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Responding to the news, Sky Director of Anti-Piracy Matt Hibbert revealed that he was 'grateful' to see the men sentenced.
"Today's sentencing highlights the significant consequences for those that get involved in illegally streaming content," he said.
"We are grateful to FACT and to London Borough of Redbridge Trading Standards for their assistance in tackling what was a brazen illegal streaming operation.
“We will continue to work with partners and law enforcement to protect our content and help keep consumers safe from criminal piracy networks."
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Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, added that he hoped the case would act as a 'deterrent' to anyone considering illegal streaming.
"This was a lengthy and thorough investigation which required the attention of FACT, Sky, Trading Standards and the police to produce the physical and digital evidence needed to prosecute the offenders," he said.
"This verdict is both a punishment to the two men committing these criminal acts and a deterrent to others who are engaged in similar activities."
Topics: Premier League, Crime
Brenna Cooper