UK authorities have shut down another illegal streaming service which was offering Sky channels without paying the usual price.
Illegal streaming is a booming industry and it’s not hard to see why. With the cost of living crisis still hitting wallets hard, the thought of gaining access to premium telly services without forking out the usual high price is clearly enticing.
Of course, this shift away from paying for packages hasn’t gone unnoticed by content providers or the UK authorities with crackdowns taking place throughout the year in a bid to shut things down.
Now there’s a fresh block on viewing content without paying a subscription and it could leave homes who thought they were on to a good deal staring at a blank screen.
It’s been confirmed that officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police have executed a search warrant at a residential address in Wolverhampton.
During the bust, a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of copyright and money laundering offences, after he was suspected to have sold illegal streaming packages for others to sell to the public.
These bundles included illegal access to Sky channels such as Sports, Entertainment and Cinema.
Along with making the arrest, officers also seized a server, which was used to host the illegal streaming service, at one of the addresses and the service was shut down.
“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,” said Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.
“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.”
And Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, added: “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.”
