Fans who illegally stream Premier League football matches have been issued with a warning by a new anti-piracy scheme after several viewers were reportedly 'intercepted' before last weekend's north London Derby.
BeStreamWise, a cross-body initiative that partners with Sky, the Premier League, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and Crimestoppers UK, set up an experiment to showcase the dangers of illegal streaming.
The organisation claims it invited members of the public to register for a free streaming service that delivered access to TV, film and sports content, but required them to provide their personal information.
Participants were then alerted that the service was not a legitimate streaming platform.
BeStreamWise states: 'Giving away personal data and visiting unfamiliar links are two tactics which allow criminals and hackers the ability to attack and gain control of devices and networks.'
An anti-piracy agency has delivered a stern warning to Premier League football fans after 'intercepting' several viewers before the north London derby
BeStreamWise set up an experiment to showcase the dangers of illegal streaming ahead of Sunday's match
Intellectual property protection agency FACT state that there has been a rise in illegal streaming over the past year
The organisation adds that one in three illegal streamers in the UK say that they or a person they know has been subjected to some form of fraud or scam.
In August, two brothers, Amir Butt and Ammar Hussain, were sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for operating an illegal streaming service. The pair had been found guilty of conspiracy to defraud over a seven-year period between August 2012 and March 2019 and had sold annual subscriptions, giving people access to a range of sports and entertainment content in a £200 package.
Their illegal activity came to light through the intellectual property protection agency FACT, which referred their activity to Sky.
'FACT has always been committed to protecting the rights of content creators and ensuring online safety,' CEO of FACT, Kieron Sharp, stated.
'BeStreamWise is an essential educational platform focused on raising awareness about the dangers of illegal streaming and we are proud to be a partner of this important industry initiative.'
Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy, UK and ROI, at Sky, added: 'We’re proud to support the launch of BeStreamWise.com alongside our industry peers. We’re seeing more and more evidence of links between those involved in operating illegal streaming services and organised crime, and this initiative aims to increase public awareness of the risks of piracy, empowering audiences to safeguard themselves while enjoying the content they love.'
Gabriel's second half goal helped Arsenal seal a 1-0 victory against their north London rivals Tottenham
It is estimated that broadcasters lost around £95million in revenue after 20 million people illegally streamed Oleksandr Usyk's (left) fight against Tyson Fury (right) earlier this year
Earlier this year, Mail Sport revealed that 20 million people illegally streamed Oleksandr Usyk's historic undisputed heavyweight win against Tyson Fury.
It is estimated that the use of illegal streams cost television rights holders approximately £95million in lost revenue.
Police and government officials have been looking to crack down on illegal streaming services in the past year, with broadcasters and sporting organisations missing out on large sums of money due to the loss in revenue.
In July, three men were arrested as part of the efforts to toughen up on the use of 'illegal Amazon Firesticks' - with FACT detailing that there has been an increase in the number of users opting to use a firestick to illegally watch content.
The Intellectual Property Office's Deputy Director of IP Enforcement, Miles Rees, said: 'Creative industries support around 2 million UK jobs and contribute tens of billions to our economy every year. Piracy diverts funds away from these industries and into the hands of criminals, at the expense of the TV shows, films and sporting events we all enjoy. Pirated content is often linked to other harmful content and activity online, undermining consumer confidence and helping to sustain serious and organised crime.
'Consumers should be able to make informed choices through greater awareness and understanding of the risks of accessing pirated content, and the damage this can cause to society and communities.
'We are pleased to support the ongoing work of our partners in industry and law enforcement to raise awareness of the harms of piracy, helping to disrupt criminal networks and empower consumers to make informed choices.'