Football fans using illegal Fire TV sticks warned 'this is just the start' with huge crackdown underway

Football fans watching the action on illegal Fire Sticks have received a stark warning.

With the cost of having multiple subscription services through the roof in the current climate, Amazon Fire Sticks have been a popular and cheaper alternative.

The sticks have different models and cost as much as £70. But many people have made enormous money from loading them with content from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and even live football from the biggest channels and leagues in the world.

An easy way to have access to a 3pm kick-off in the UK and not have to pay for Sky Sports and TNT Sports, the sticks have been a huge focus for authorities as the use of the "dodgy" devices breaches copyright laws.

In recent times, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) have been working alongside Sky and police forces to crack down on IPTV boxes and jailbroken sticks, with home raids taking place and devices being seized.

Arrests were made, with as many as 40 illegal IPTV operators involved in the mass crackdown.

Image: Getty

"These measures underscore the serious consequences of engaging in such illicit activities," Kieron Sharp, FACT Chief Executive, said.

"We thank the police services involved for their invaluable assistance in this operation, particularly Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and the North East Regional Crime Unit for executing the warrants.

"The rise in illegal IPTV operators using modified Firesticks to unlawfully access premium content is a growing concern.

"This not only infringes upon copyright laws but deprives content creators and distributors of their rightful earnings and disrupts the economic balance of the creative industry.

"FACT and our partners are steadfast in our commitment to disrupt these criminal operations. This is just the start of our enforcement efforts, with more actions planned."

It follows on from news in May that five men involved in the selling of IPTV sticks were sent to jail for a total of 30 years.

Mark Gould, 36, Steven Gordon, 46, Peter Jolley, 41, Christopher Felvus, 36, William Brown, 33, and Zak Smith, 30 are all believed to have generated around £7 million from 50,000 customers.

They provided services for a £10 monthly subscription fee under three different organisations.