A major illegal streaming platform that LeBron James was caught using has been shut down following a sting operation.
Back in 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers star was spotted watching an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks courtside on Streameast.
The clip quickly went viral on social media. The incident brought widespread attention to the site and led many to speculate that authorities would try to shut it down.
Now, after a year long investigation, Streameast, which is the world's largest illegal sports streaming platform, has been shut down. According to The Athletic, they had generated 1.6 billion visits over the past year, offering free access to a wide range of global sports fixtures.
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That included top American leagues such as the NFL, NBA and MLB as well as European competitions, including the Premier League and Champions League.
The takedown was a result of a coalition of 50 media organisations.
Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix and Paramount, among others, came together to form the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). On 24 August, ACE worked alongside Egyptian authorities to disrupt Streameast's operations within the illegal streaming market
ACE Chairman Charles Rivkin hailed the success of the operation. He said: “ACE scored a resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy: by taking down the largest illegal live sports platform anywhere.
“With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide.
And our global alliance will stay on the field as long as it takes to identify and target the biggest piracy rings across the globe.”
Currently, Streameast's original domain is inactive, but there are rumours on Reddit that suggest back-up domains are back up and running.
ACE has confirmed to The Athletic that they were aware of the risk of copycat sites seeking to replace Streameast's role within the market.
DAZN Group, who were a partner within the ACE collaboration were also positive about the work to take down Streameast.
The COO Ed McCarthy said: "Dismantling Streameast is a major victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem.
“This criminal operation was siphoning value from sports at every level and putting fans across the world at risk.”
The Streameast shutdown marks a significant step in the global crackdown against illegal streaming and sends a clear warning out.
Topics: Lebron James, NBA
James Taylor