Stern warning issued to people using Amazon Fire TV Sticks to illegally stream football

Authorities claim to be clamping down on illegal streamers

With the increasing cost of pay-to-watch sports as well as the multitude of subscriptions needed to watch a variation of different leagues and sports, fans have been turning to illegal streaming to get their football fix.

More and more fans are feeling priced out of the game and have turned to the Amazon Fire Stick in recent years despite continuous warning against the practice from authorities.

The Fire Stick itself is not illegal, providing a platform for a plethora of legitimate streaming applications from iPlayer to Disney+, however it is the illegal streaming services that can be hosted by the device that is causing issues.

Now authorities have confirmed that they will be clamping down on those who will be watching the football without paying.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT UK) have said that anyone using the device to illegally stream football is in breach of copyright law.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: "FACT constantly monitors the digital landscape to combat illegal streaming activities in the UK and Ireland.

"We utilise a range of methods to identify individuals engaged in unauthorised businesses that offer access to illegal streams.

"One of these methods is through our partnership with Crimestoppers to make it as easy as possible to report illegal streaming, and over the past we have seen a significant increase in the number of reports directly linked to Fire Sticks and illegal streaming."

The Fraud Act 2006 details the current UK copyright law and the punishment anyone in violation of it could face.

The law details that a person will be found guilty if proven they have obtained a paid service without paying the stated amount for said service.

The Fraud Act 2006 falls under criminal law and therefore those found guilty of breaking the act could face up to 12 months in prison, although more serious cases can incur a maximum sentence of five years.

With the Premier League season set to restart in only a matter of weeks, authorities will be on high-alert in an attempt to combat the practice.

The 2024/2025 season will start on 16 August when Manchester United will take on Fulham at Old Trafford.