With the cost of living crisis still hurting finances it's no surprise that UK homes are looking for much cheaper ways to tune into premium movies and sporting action. There's been an explosion of people offering so-called 'dodgy' Fire TV Sticks which often allow easy access to services such as Sky Sports without paying the usual monthly fees. This illegal way of tuning into TV might sound attractive but it's not gone unnoticed by the UK authorities or providers such as Sky.

One of the biggest operations ever has just taken place to shut down this type of activity with sellers of pre-loaded Fire TV Sticks being targeted across the UK including areas such as London, South East England, West Midlands, North West, North East, North Wales and Scotland.

A total of 40 providers were identified, investigated, and served with official warnings by the team at FACT.

Three people have also been arrested as part of the operation with so-called ‘fully loaded’ devices seized and currently undergoing forensic examination. Additionally, Sky is also actively working to remove listings and social media posts selling illegal IPTV subscriptions and ‘loaded’ Firesticks in the UK and Ireland with over 3,000 taken down.

Speaking about the latest clampdown, Kieron Sharp, FACT CEO, said: “These measures underscore the serious consequences of engaging in such illicit activities. We thank the police services involved for their invaluable assistance in this operation.

“The rise in illegal IPTV operators using modified Firesticks to unlawfully access premium content is a growing concern. This not only infringes upon copyright laws but deprives content creators and distributors of their rightful earnings and disrupts the economic balance of the creative industry.

“FACT and our partners are steadfast in our commitment to disrupt these criminal operations. This is just the start of our enforcement efforts, with more actions planned.”

And Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, added: “The action taken by FACT, police and Sky across the country sends a strong message to those involved in illegal streaming operations that they will be identified, and they will face consequences.

“We are very grateful to our partners for this latest wave of enforcement, and we will continue to work together to protect consumers from the risks of illegal streams. To this end, Sky proudly supports educational campaigns, including BeStreamWise.com, which highlights the risks and directs consumers to safe ways to enjoy the content they love.”