Fans illegally streaming Premier League football matches have been warned by a new anti-piracy programme, with multiple viewers reportedly being ‘intercepted’ ahead of last weekend’s North London derby.
BeStreamWisea cross-body initiative working with Sky, the Premier League, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and Crimestoppers UK, has launched an experiment to highlight the dangers of illegal streaming.
The organization claims that the public was invited to register for a free streaming service that provided access to TV, film and sports programming, but that they were required to provide their personal details.
Participants were then warned that the service was not a legitimate streaming platform.
BeStreamWise states: ‘Release of personal information and visiting unknown links are two tactics that criminals and hackers use to attack and take over devices and networks.’
An anti-piracy agency has issued a stern warning to Premier League football fans after multiple viewers were ‘intercepted’ for the North London derby
BeStreamWise has set up an experiment to demonstrate the dangers of illegal streaming ahead of Sunday’s match
The agency for the protection of intellectual property, FACT, states that there has been an increase in illegal streaming in the past year
The organisation adds that one in three illegal streamers in the UK say they or someone they know has been a victim of some form of fraud or scam.
In August, two brothers, Amir Butt and Ammar Hussain, were jailed for a total of 11 years for running an illegal streaming service. The pair had been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud over a seven-year period between August 2012 and March 2019, and had sold annual subscriptions that gave people access to a range of sports and entertainment content for a package of £200.
Their illegal activities came to light through the intellectual property rights agency FACT, which reported their activities to Sky.
“FACT has always been committed to protecting the rights of content creators and ensuring online safety,” said Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT.
‘BeStreamWise is an important educational platform that focuses on raising awareness about the dangers of illegal streaming. We are proud to be a partner of this important initiative in the sector.’
Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy, UK and ROI, at Sky, added: ‘We are proud to support the launch of BeStreamWise.com alongside our industry peers. We are seeing increasing evidence of links between those involved in operating illegal streaming services and organised crime, and this initiative aims to raise public awareness of the risks of piracy, enabling audiences to protect themselves whilst enjoying the content they love.’
Gabriel’s second-half goal helped Arsenal secure a 1-0 win over their North London rivals Tottenham
It is estimated that broadcasters lost around £95 million in revenue after 20 million people illegally watched Oleksandr Usyk (left) vs Tyson Fury (right) match earlier this year.
Earlier this year, Mail Sport revealed that 20 million people illegally streamed Oleksandr Usyk’s historic undisputed heavyweight victory over Tyson Fury.
It is estimated that the use of illegal streams costs TV rights holders around £95 million in lost revenue.
Police and government officials have tried to crack down on illegal streaming services over the past year, costing broadcasters and sports organizations a lot of money due to lost revenue.
In July, three men were arrested as part of measures to crack down on the use of “illegal Amazon Firesticks.” According to FACT, there has been an increase in the number of users choosing to use a Firestick to watch illegal content.
Miles Rees, Deputy Director of IP Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office, said: ‘Creative industries support around 2 million jobs in the UK and contribute tens of billions of pounds to our economy every year. Piracy diverts money away from these industries and into the hands of criminals, at the expense of the TV shows, films and sporting events we all enjoy. Pirated content is often linked to other harmful content and activity online, undermining consumer trust and helping to sustain serious and organised crime.
‘Consumers should be able to make informed choices through greater awareness and understanding of the risks associated with accessing pirated content and the harm it can cause to society and communities.
“We are pleased to support the ongoing efforts of our industry and law enforcement partners to raise awareness of the dangers of piracy, disrupt criminal networks and empower consumers to make informed choices.”