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Authorities have handed a stark warning to users of ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks as the crackdown on the devices continues.
Following repeated alerts from the Premier League, there has been a major focus on tackling illegal streaming, in particular ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks, which illegally give fans access to major TV channels.
The practice has become a major problem in sports – at least 20 million people illegally watched Tyson Fury’s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk last May, costing broadcasters a reported £80million in revenue – while pirate streams of top-flight matches are regularly viewed via this method.
This has led to a string of arrests, including one man based in Halifax earlier this month, with Sonny Kanda jailed for two years after cheating legitimate providers out of more than £108,000 across an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022.
Jonathan Edge was jailed for more than three years in 2024 following a private prosecution that was brought by the Premier League, while five men were previously handed a combined sentence of more than 30 years in prison for similar Fire Stick offences.
And now, in a fresh warning, authorities have highlighted that crimes are being committed by those using the fire sticks, while they are also exposing themselves to wider risks, including access to their personal data.
Authorities have handed a fresh warning to those who use and view ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks
The Premier League has been desperate to tackle the issue of illegal streaming in recent times
Sunny Kanda (above) was jailed for two years earlier this month for selling ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks
‘You have to think, “How are they funding that and why does it make sense to do this stuff in the first place?”‘, David Ingham, whose Cognizant firm works to identify illegal streaming, told The Telegraph.
‘If you go to a website and it says, “Pay £5 for Sky Sports for an entire season”, you are probably having your identity stolen as part of that.
‘There’s probably malware that is being delivered to you that is monitoring you in other ways. There’s a big web behind it.’
Research in 2023 by the Intellectual Property Office claimed that nearly four million people in the UK had illegally streamed live sport in the previous year.
Meanwhile, in France, Arcom, a regulatory body, released a study that said the sports sector had lost €240m (£200m) from audi-visual privacy.
And, along with the risk of personal identities being stolen, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) also warned viewers that they could face ‘serious consequences’ by using ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks.
‘If you’re supplying or using illicit streaming devices or illegal IPTV subscriptions, take this as a clear warning: you are breaking the law and risk facing serious consequences,’ they said.
‘We will continue working with police to track down and shut down these illegal operations.’
There has been a clampdown on illegal streaming in recent months led by FACT
FACT have been leading the clampdown on the crime over recent months.
The campaign is focusing on dismantling piracy operations and has seen officers visit people in person as well as issuing cease-and-desist warnings in the mail, suggesting there would be criminal prosecution if they did not stop their activities immediately.
After Kanda’s sentencing, Kieron Sharp, CEO of Fact, said: ‘The outcome serves as both a consequence for those involved in these criminal activities, and as a strong warning to others considering similar action.
‘Illegal streaming isn’t a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industries, puts consumers at risk of data theft and often funds other serious crimes.’
