A sophisticated illicit streaming operation that provided unlawful access to Sky Sports and Sky Cinema has been closed by law enforcement. As many as four million UK homes now rely on shadowy streaming businesses to watch premium content for free — or at a lower cost than even the best Sky Stream deals.
But those who turn to illicit methods to watch the latest must-see sports fixture, blockbuster release, or boxset that everyone is talking about face "significant consequences," Sky has warned Britons.
The latest example of the fallout from illegal streaming was the sentencing of a Birmingham man at the centre of a successful illicit streaming operation, who was jailed for two years and nine months in mid-January.
Gary McNally, 55, from Acocks Green, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to two charges under the Fraud Act 2006. McNally was behind an illicit IPTV service, dubbed Each Online, between November 2017 and June 2020. At its peak, Each Online streamed a World Championship boxing match broadcast from Sky to some 2,000 subscribers, the 55-year-old boasted.
IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television, refers to any service that uses an internet connection to deliver live television. This doesn't necessarily mean that something is illegal — after all, Sky Stream and Sky Glass, which both ditch the traditional satellite dish in favour of a Wi-Fi connection, are both IPTV solutions.
However, the term is often used by fraudsters looking to advertise their illicit streaming operation. These can be accessed online, via social media websites, or low-cost hardware, like Amazon's Fire TV Stick, or Roku dongles.
McNally first came to the attention of Sky in June 2020, after an investigation revealed the Birmingham-based man was using legitimate NOW accounts to gain illegal access to Sky content. NOW, formerly known as NOW TV, is a sister service owned and operated by Sky that offers contract-free access to its paid-for content.
Sky referred the matter to West Midlands Police. In September 2021, law enforcement executed warrants at two residential properties in Birmingham that led to McNally’s arrest for fraud and intellectual property offences.
A search of McNally’s property resulted in the seizure of a large amount of digital equipment including laptops, hard drives and NOW TV devices believed to have been used by McNally to operate pirate IPTV services.
Two other individuals were also arrested during the crackdown by Sky TV and West Midlands Police. One of these has been released with no further action, while another remains released pending investigation.
"Today’s sentencing highlights the significant consequences that can arise for those that get involved in illegally streaming content," Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, told GB News.
"We are grateful to the West Midlands Police for acting so robustly to take down a highly sophisticated illegal streaming operation. We will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our content and help keep consumers safe from criminal piracy networks."
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police emphasised their commitment to tackling these types of crimes, stating: "We will work with partners wherever possible to disrupt criminal activity, and we hope this case sends a warning message to anyone involved in this kind of criminal enterprise."
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) warns that watching copyright-protected material via illicit streaming services is never a victimless crime. According to estimates from the Intellectual Property Office, online copyright infringement costs the UK economy around £9bn and triggers 80,500 job losses each year.
FACT CEO Kieron Sharp said: "The police across the UK have been unstinting in their efforts to tackle this criminality and we are grateful for their assistance. To those using illegal streaming services, the message is that you’re not just committing a crime; you are putting yourself at risk.
"These services often expose users to malware, scams, and data theft, with no recourse when things go wrong. The safest, smartest and only choice is to stick to legitimate providers for your entertainment."
In France, regulatory body Arcom estimates the sports sector lost €240m (£200m) from online piracy.
McNally's sentencing is part of a broader crackdown on illegal streaming operations across the UK. Earlier this year, Sonny Kanda from Halifax was jailed for two years after cheating legitimate providers out of more than £108,000 between 2020 and 2022.
In another recent case, Jonathan Edge from Liverpool received a three-year and four-month sentence following a private prosecution brought by the Premier League. Five other men were previously handed a combined sentence of more than 30 years in prison for similar offences.
Law enforcement worked with anti-piracy organisation FACT and Sky TV to execute 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, cease-and-desist orders handed to 40 individuals from Essex to Dundee, and three arrests.
Police also issued cease-and-desist letters in 15 areas across the UK, warning those living at the address to stop streaming illegally or face the consequences. Of those who have previously received a letter and decided to continue watching TV shows, movies, and live sports coverage via illegal means, law enforcement made arrests too.
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Sky TV is a partner in the BeStreamWise campaign — a UK initiative designed to help viewers understand the risks, learn the facts and read the latest news about piracy, and most importantly, provide routes to where they can safely access the content they love.
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