In a major blow to online piracy, Streameast, the world's largest illegal sports streaming platform, has been shut down following a year-long investigation. The operation, conducted by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) in collaboration with Egyptian law enforcement, effectively dismantled a network responsible for billions of unauthorised streams.
Streameast operated through a network of approximately 80 domains, amassing a staggering 1.6 billion visits in the past year. This illegal platform provided free access to a wide range of premium sporting events, including top European football leagues like the Premier League and Champions League, as well as major North American leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
The Operation and its Impact
ACE, a coalition of 50 leading media and entertainment companies including industry giants like Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Paramount, spearheaded the investigation. The operation, which took place on Sunday, August 24th, involved Egyptian law enforcement officials and successfully disrupted Streameast's dominance in the illegal streaming market.
Charles Rivkin, chairman of ACE and chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), hailed the operation as a significant victory in the fight against digital piracy. “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 stated.
Global Reach of Illegal Streaming
The reach of Streameast was truly global, with traffic originating primarily from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Germany. The site averaged 136 million monthly visits, highlighting the massive scale of its illegal operations.
The shutdown of Streameast serves as a warning to other illegal streaming platforms and a significant win for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide. ACE has vowed to continue its efforts to identify and target the biggest piracy rings across the globe, protecting the rights of content creators and ensuring a fair marketplace for legitimate streaming services.
Two men were arrested. Items were confiscated by Egyptian authorities from the operation of Streameast.