If you've got a knock-off or 'jailbroken' Fire TV Stick, your illegal TV streaming days are about to be over.
Amazon's Fire TV Sticks have long been a popular way to watch the latest box sets, sports, and more.
But it was recently announced that the retailer will be cracking down on 'dodgy' or modified Fire Sticks.
Now, many plug-and-play devices are receiving updates, and many users are starting to see warnings if their gadgets aren't legitimate devices.
Want to get the real deal? Amazon is offering money off and a trade-in discount to anyone who swaps their Fire TV Stick for a new one.
How to get £34 off the newest Fire Stick
If you trade in an old TV stick you can get an Amazon gift voucher and 20% off the price of a new device. The newest Fire TV Stick 4K Select model is already half price at £19.99, so you can save an additional £4 if you take part).
£49.99
£19.99 (or £15.99 after 20% trade-in discount)
What is the new Fire TV Stick warning appearing on devices?
Previously, some shoppers had been purchasing or modifying the official devices in order to be able to access pirated content or illegal streams of films or programming from Sky Sports or TNT.
But Amazon has now confirmed it will be blocking any unofficial apps that people might be using to access pirated or illegal content.
An Amazon spokesperson told The Mirror: “Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore. Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content — including those installed from outside our Appstore.”
AFTVnews has also reported on the warning that is now appearing on-screen for many users with a 'dodgy' Fire TV Stick.
If they launch an app that has been linked to pirated content, many people are now seeing a warning onscreen that says the software has been flagged as problematic.
The message reads: "Warning: One or more apps on your device have been identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content, including this app, and will be disabled. To remove this app now, select ‘Uninstall’.”
When does the official ban come into play?
At present, users can choose to override and ignore the warning and still open the app.
However, the message confirms that Amazon has detected the 'dodgy' activity and that the app may be fully banned soon.
A date when official bans will begin has not yet been revealed, but it is anticipated to impact Europe first.
Experts say the rising cost of content and subscriptions is behind a rise in pirating, but say Amazon's move is the right one.
Paolo Pescatore is a media analyst and explained how the ban is a 'long-overdue [...] step in the right direction.'
“Broadcasters are spending more to secure live sports rights and passing these costs onto consumers who can’t afford them, leading to a messy, fragmented experience,” Pescatore said.
With the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select, you get smooth 4K streaming, and it even comes with smart home compatibility, meaning you can use it to control devices in your home with Alexa voice control.
One happy customer raved: "Considering the size, this is a great little streaming stick. I found setup to be less than 10 minutes, including software upgrade and installing and logging into my apps."
You'll be set up and streaming in no time.
How to get £34 off the newest Fire Stick
If you trade in an old TV stick you can get an Amazon gift voucher and 20% off the price of a new device. The newest Fire TV Stick 4K Select model is already half price at £19.99, so you can save an additional £4 if you take part).
£49.99
£19.99 (or £15.99 after 20% trade-in discount)
Topics: Sky Sports
Jen Thomas