Dodgy fire stick users handed fresh warning as names and addresses to be revealed

Premier League fans using illegal fire sticks to watch games have been issued a major warning following a a High Court ruling in Ireland.

With the costs of sports streaming subscriptions higher than ever, some fans have taken to using a 'dodgy' Fire Sticks in order to watch content from providers such as Sky Sports and TNT Sports for free or at a reduced cost.

The devices come preloaded with illegal software that allows them to stream the content directly to their TVs.

Last year around 59 per cent of Fire Stick owners in the UK admitted to using the device to watch illegal streams, prompting a serious response from broadcasters.

This led to a High Court ruling in the Republic of Ireland this week, which resulted in Revolut Bank being ordered disclose the details of 304 subscribers, as well as details of 10 resellers of an illegal IPTV network, to Sky.

That means that the names and addresses of these users will now be provided to Sky on an encrypted spreadsheet within 28 days.

Hundres of Fire Stick Users will be exposed by the court ruling. (Image: Getty)

The ruling comes following a separate investigation into David Dunbar from County Wexford, who in August was made to pay €480,000 (£417,259) in damages to Sky after it was revealed he was the provider of an illegal streaming service called ‘IPTV is Easy’.

Dunbar was discovered as payments were made of €80-€100 [£69-£86] per year were made to his Revolut bank account, with his total earnings being over £150,000 across three and a half years.

But it's not just Ireland that is making moves to combat the illegal devices, as intelligence-led investigation service FACT recently launched Operation Eider, across eight areas in the UK.

This includes: London, the South West, North West, North East, Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber, and the West Midlands.

Last year, three arrests were made in Merseyside as part of the operation, with hundreds of households being sent warnings after the prosecution of Jonathan Edge.

Edge pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act in November 2024 and was later sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

FACT chairman Kieron Sharp said: “These arrests reflect the results of our intelligence-led investigations and the strength of our partnerships with UK law enforcement."

He added: “It may appear harmless, but illegal streaming fuels organised crime and puts viewers at real risk, from scams and malware to data theft.”