Thursday, September 4, 2025 - Authorities have shut down one of the world’s largest illegal live sports streaming networks, Streameast, which drew 1.6 billion visits over the past year across 80 websites, officials said.
The network, popular in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and the
Philippines, offered illicit access to major football leagues including the
Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Primeira Liga.
Streameast also streamed UEFA club competitions such as the Champions League,
Europa League, and Europa Conference League, international qualifiers for the
FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro and Nations League, and the CONMEBOL Copa America.
American sports including NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, pay-per-view
boxing, Formula One, and Moto GP were also available illegally on the platform.
The crackdown was led by Egyptian authorities in
collaboration with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a
global anti-piracy coalition. ACE Chairman Charles Rivkin described the
operation as a “resounding victory” in combating digital piracy and said the
group would continue targeting major illegal streaming networks worldwide.
Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group, called the shutdown “a major
victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem,”
noting that the operation had siphoned value from sports at every level and put
fans at risk.
The move comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal
streaming, which industry officials say costs sports and entertainment
companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Sky COO Nick Herm warned
earlier this year about widespread access to pirated services via jailbroken
Fire Sticks.
In recent years, operators of illegal streaming networks
have faced arrests and jail sentences. In July, Briton Stephen Woodward, 36,
was jailed for over three years for running three pirated streaming sites,
using the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle including designer clothes,
holidays, and a £91,000 Jaguar F-Type V8.
Streameast’s closure marks the latest in global efforts to
tackle online sports piracy and protect legitimate broadcasters and fans.
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