Two brothers from Ilford have been sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for running an illegal streaming service that offered access to exclusive Sky TV boxsets, shows and sports coverage for just £16 a month.
The IPTV program, which ran from August 2012 to March 2019, offered access to pay-TV content at a significantly reduced price. For £200 a year, streamers could access a huge library of sports, movies and entertainment from various providers, including Sky.
However, for 56-year-old Amir Butt and his 39-year-old younger brother Ammar Hussain, the operation came crashing down after an investigation by the Federation Against Copyright Theft, also known as FACT. During the six years and seven months that the illegal IPTV company was active, the pair cost legal TV broadcasters an estimated £1 million in lost revenue.
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The streaming operation, which was advertised under various brand names such as Tech & Sat Ltd, Techsat and Tech+ Sat, operated between Amir Butt’s home on Grange Road and a shop on Cranbrook Road.
The dramatic end to the seven-year piracy saga came earlier this week when Ammar Hussain was sentenced to four years in prison on August 13. The trial of his older brother took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court in September 2023 and lasted four weeks.
As Amir Butt failed to appear, he was found guilty in absentia and sentenced to seven years in prison. Commenting on the prison sentences received by the duo involved in the streaming scam, FACT CEO Kieron Sharp said: “Piracy is not a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industry, reduces opportunities to produce future content and puts significant profits into the hands of criminals.”
Matt Hibbert, head of anti-piracy at Sky, noted in an interview with industry blog CordBusters: “Today’s ruling underscores the significant consequences for those who engage in illegal streaming content.” The crackdown on a million-pound Sky TV streaming scam is the latest in a series of measures in the UK this summer to combat illegal streaming.
In a concerted effort, law enforcement joined forces with anti-piracy group FACT and Sky TV to launch a nationwide offensive, removing over 3,000 social media adverts promoting illegal IPTV services that offer cheaper alternatives to receiving Sky Sports and other premium channels. In addition, cease and desist notices were sent to around 40 people between Essex and Dundee.
Three people have been arrested as part of these new initiatives. Fire TV Sticks, developed and distributed by teams at Amazon, were at the centre of the latest crackdown as they were being used by criminals offering dodgy streaming services at much lower prices. Dubbed “fully-featured” Fire TV Sticks, these tweaked devices often come with an annual subscription fee for access to Sky TV’s movies, shows and sport, which invariably undercuts Sky Stream’s best offerings.
Discussing the recent crackdown on piracy, FACT CEO Kieron Sharp warned: “The increasing number of illegal IPTV operators using modified Firesticks to access premium content unlawfully is a growing concern. Not only does this breach copyright laws, it also deprives content creators and distributors of their rightful income and disrupts the economic balance of the creative industry.”
“FACT and our partners are determined to stop these criminal activities. This is just the beginning of our efforts, and further measures are planned.”
