Authorities have shut down one of the world’s largest illegal live sports streaming networks, Streameast, which drew 1.6 billion visits over the past year across 80 websites, officials said.
The network, popular in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines, offered illicit access to major football leagues including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Primeira Liga. Streameast also streamed UEFA club competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League, international qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro and Nations League, and the CONMEBOL Copa America.
American sports including NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, pay-per-view boxing, Formula One, and Moto GP were also available illegally on the platform.
The crackdown was led by Egyptian authorities in collaboration with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy coalition. ACE Chairman Charles Rivkin described the operation as a “resounding victory” in combating digital piracy and said the group would continue targeting major illegal streaming networks worldwide.
Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group, called the shutdown “a major victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem,” noting that the operation had siphoned value from sports at every level and put fans at risk.
The move comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal streaming, which industry officials say costs sports and entertainment companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Sky COO Nick Herm warned earlier this year about widespread access to pirated services via jailbroken Fire Sticks.
In recent years, operators of illegal streaming networks have faced arrests and jail sentences. In July, Briton Stephen Woodward, 36, was jailed for over three years for running three pirated streaming sites, using the proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle including designer clothes, holidays, and a £91,000 Jaguar F-Type V8.
Streameast’s closure marks the latest in global efforts to tackle online sports piracy and protect legitimate broadcasters and fans.
