Streameast, the largest online sports piracy network in the world, has been shut down by law enforcement on the eve of the 2025 NFL season. Through its 80 associated internet domains, the illegal network logged more than 1.6 billion visits in the past year.
Who shut down Streameast?
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, or ACE, a coalition of more than 50 media and entertainment companies, including Amazon, Apple TV, Netflix, FOX, and Comcast, along with Egyptian law enforcement officials, completed a year-long investigation on Sunday, Aug. 24, with a raid to dismantle the illegal service. Charles Rivkin, the chairman of ACE and the Motion Picture Association, said Streameast drew 136 million average monthly visits.
“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,” Rivkin said. “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.”
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Online streaming piracy costs the U.S. economy close to $30 billion annually and more than 230,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment say the global impact is over $70 billion lost annually.
Who was running the network?
Two men were arrested in Egypt on suspicion of copyright infringement. Authorities confiscated laptops, smartphones, cash, and multiple credit cards suspected of being used to operate the various Streameast sites.
The platforms offered users unauthorized access to soccer matches from Europe’s top leagues as well as pirated access to pay-per-view boxing and MMA, F1, and all the major U.S. sports, including the NFL.
Piracy and illegal sports streaming in general have skyrocketed over the last decade, with soccer and other sports leagues selling their content matches to pay-per-view and streaming services, sometimes requiring fans to purchase more than one subscription to see all their teams’ games. Ed McCarthy, the chief operating officer of DAZN, a member of ACE, applauded the takedown.
“Dismantling Streameast is a major victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem,” McCarthy said. “This criminal operation was siphoning value from sports at every level and putting fans across the world at risk.”
What impact does illegal streaming have?
Streaming pirates cost the U.S. economy close to $30 billion annually and more than 230,000 jobs, according to ACE and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The group also said the global impact is over $70 billion annually. ACE works to take down more than 2,500 illegal sites daily, and they continually warn consumers that using those illegal sites can pose cybersecurity risks.
“When you pirate content, you’re inviting in dangers you can’t even see, like exposing your devices to malware, putting your personal information at risk, or surrendering your privacy,” one online video announces. “Often it’s even funding crime syndicates at the expense of innocent people.”
Site traffic to the various Streameast domains originated primarily from the U.S., Canada, Britain, the Philippines, and Germany. Streameast sites are now redirected to the ACE “Watch Legally” page.
ACE says it is aware of “copycat” sites that have popped up on the internet to take advantage of the void left by Streameast. The group, as well as law enforcement, say they continue to investigate.
