Statement Issued on Punishment for Illegally Streaming on Fire Stick

Another warning has been issued for the use of illegal Amazon fire sticks for Premier League football.

With the increase of costs to watch Sky Sports and TNT Sports, many viewers have turned to IPTV services and jailbroken fire sticks to watch live football.

As well as access to films and TV programmes, the services typically contain feeds for football - including 3pm fixtures which cannot be broadcasted live in the UK.

It's estimated that almost five million people in the UK consumed illegal sports coverage and bodies like the Premier League, Sky and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) have been working with authorities to crack down.

Amazon Fire Sticks have been used to illegal stream Premier League games. Image: Getty

In a recent times a man from Liverpool, was hit with a three-year prison sentence in November following a private prosecution overseen by the Premier League.

He sold illegal fire sticks through Facebook and word-of-mouth, while his own use of the device was also treated as a criminal offence.

In addition, an individual from Lebanon was sentenced to 11 months in prison for providing an illegal streaming service for Premier League games - and required to pay £69,000 in damages.

In a statement, Kevin Plum, Premier League general counsel", said the case's outcome is "essential for the future health of English football and the protection of our fans".

There are not any known cases of charges being brought those illegally streaming and violating section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006, which focuses on 'knowing the services are made available on the basis that payment has been, is being or will be made for or in respect of them or that they might be; and avoids or intends to avoid payment in full or in part".

A violation could potentially result in up 12 months in prison for a summary conviction, with the crackdown very much in full swing as FACT issued a fresh warning.

“FACT’s enforcement activities against illegal streaming are ongoing throughout the year. Together with our partners and the police, we constantly review new intelligence and target those areas of the UK and Ireland where the data shows that illegal streaming activity is taking place," a spokesperson for FACT told LADbible Group.

"Our investigations are thorough, and we are relentless in our determination to stop illegal streaming and bring offenders to justice. To avoid jeopardising operations that are in progress, we do not share details publicly until enforcement action has been completed.”

The next model of the fire stick will challenge those who create the modified apps. Image: Getty

Major Fire Stick and IPTV change could block illegal streaming

Amazon have taken steps to try and stop illegal streaming through their devices with the latest iteration of the fire stick. The new Fire TV Stick 4K Select will use a different operating system called Vega OS.

This mean on new models, modified Android apps will not work as there will not be the ability to side-load apps.

Amazon said that only apps from the Amazon Appstore on Fire TV are available for download "for enhanced security" in what presents a significant challenge for those who create them.

“Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore,” an Amazon spokesperson said via The Sun.

“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 downloaded from outside our Appstore.

“This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud.”