Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Premier League, Football
Alex Brotherton
Premier League fans have been sent a stark warning about illegal streaming after two brothers received huge jail sentences.
The return of the Premier League on Friday will see thousands of football fans returning to stadiums and many more tuning in to watch matches on TV.
However, the cost of subscriptions to the various broadcasters who have the rights to the Premier League has seen a huge rise in the number of people watching games via illegal streams.
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Authorities have been cracking down on the use of internet protocol television (IPTV) streaming, which is typically accessed through the use of jailbroken Fire Sticks.
Two brothers have now received huge jail sentences for providing access to premium paid for content for £200 a year.
Brothers Amir Butt, 56, and Ammar Hussain, 39, were jailed after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud between August 2012 to March 2019.
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The subscriptions the brothers sold to viewers illegal access to premium paid for sports, entertainment and movies from providers including Sky.
After making hundreds of thousands of pounds, Butt and Hussain were caught out by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), who have been working alongside UK police to bring illegal streamers to court.
Hussain was sentenced on August 13 and received four years in jail, while Butt was sentenced last September after failing to show up at court and handed a seven-year sentence.
Responding to the news, Sky Director of Anti-Piracy Matt Hibbert revealed that he was 'grateful' to see the men sentenced.
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"Today's sentencing highlights the significant consequences for those that get involved in illegally streaming content," he said.
"We are grateful to FACT and to London Borough of Redbridge Trading Standards for their assistance in tackling what was a brazen illegal streaming operation.
“We will continue to work with partners and law enforcement to protect our content and help keep consumers safe from criminal piracy networks."
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Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, added that he hoped the case would act as a 'deterrent' to anyone considering illegal streaming.
"This was a lengthy and thorough investigation which required the attention of FACT, Sky, Trading Standards and the police to produce the physical and digital evidence needed to prosecute the offenders," he said.
"This verdict is both a punishment to the two men committing these criminal acts and a deterrent to others who are engaged in similar activities."