The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), in collaboration with police in Egypt, announced the shutdown of Streameast, a prominent source for illegal sports streaming, which reportedly received over 1.6 billion visits in the past year. The site provided unauthorized access to live broadcasts of various sports, including Premier League football, Formula One racing, and Major League Baseball games.
ACE’s chairman, Charles Rivkin, characterized the event as a significant achievement in combating digital piracy. The action follows a recent report indicating that illegal sports streaming activities occur on a large scale. The global media rights market for sports surpassed $60 billion in 2022, a factor contributing to the growing interest in pirated content. Rising subscription costs for legitimate streaming services may have pushed some viewers toward illegal options.
Traffic to Streameast originated chiefly from countries such as the UK, US, Canada, the Philippines, and Germany. In connection with the shutdown, authorities arrested two men near Cairo on suspicion of copyright infringement. The police seized items believed to be used for operating the site, including laptops, smartphones, and cash. Investigations revealed a link to a company in the UAE suspected of laundering advertising revenue amounting to £4.9 million since 2010.
Following the closure, visitors attempting to access Streameast will be redirected to an ACE webpage listing legal viewing options. While some industry experts view the shutdown as a victory for broadcasters, analysts caution that it may not significantly deter the ongoing issue of sports piracy. They highlight the necessity of addressing the cost barriers that lead viewers to seek illegal streams, suggesting that enhancing accessibility to live sports content could be vital for solving this persistent problem.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62q4l0d171o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss