The infamous online soccer piracy network Stream East has been closed after more than 1.6 billion visits in the past year, the Anti-Piracy Union announced Wednesday.
The US-based Alliance of Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) said the closure was carried out in collaboration with Egyptian authorities.
With 80 related domains, Streameast was the world’s largest illegal live sports streaming operation, Ace says.
“Today, Ace has recorded an overwhelming victory in the fight to detect, deter and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital copyright infringement, by defeating the largest illegal live sports platforms everywhere.”
“This groundbreaking action has put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies and fans around the world,” added Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association.
StreamEast has provided users with unauthorized access to matches that surpass Europe’s top soccer leagues.
Football piracy has skyrocketed over the past 20 years, with the league selling games to high-priced pay-per-views and streaming services. Many leagues are sold to multiple broadcasters, requiring fans to pay multiple subscriptions.
“We are committed to providing a range of services that are important to us,” said Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer of Dazn Streaming Group. “This criminal operation siphoned the value from all levels of sport and put fans around the world at risk. We praise the Egyptian authorities and their actions.”
In addition to football, StreamEast provided access to sports-specific piracy sites for American sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
Site traffic to various domains originated primarily from the US, Canada, the UK, the Philippines and Germany, Ace said.
All StreamEast sites have been redirected to the Ace Watch Watchally page.
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