Streameast, the World’s Biggest Illegal Sports Streaming Site, Shut Down
Big news has just come out in the world of sports and digital piracy. Streameast, which had grown to become the world’s largest illegal live sports streaming platform, has officially been shut down. This comes after a major operation led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, or ACE, in collaboration with Egyptian law enforcement. Over the past year alone, Streameast’s network of unauthorized domains had been visited more than 1.6 billion times, giving fans free access to everything from Premier League and Champions League football matches to NFL, NBA, MLB games, Formula One races, and even pay-per-view boxing and MMA events.
The crackdown involved a raid near Cairo in El-Sheikh Zaid, where two men were arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement. Laptops, smartphones, cash, and credit cards suspected to be connected to the operation were seized, along with evidence linking a UAE shell company that allegedly laundered almost £5 million in advertising revenue since 2010. Investigators also uncovered £150,000 in cryptocurrency and several real estate properties believed to have been bought with illicit funds.
ACE described the takedown as a “resounding victory” in the fight against digital piracy. Charles Rivkin, ACE chairman, emphasized that this action was a major win for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide, noting that the global alliance will continue targeting major piracy operations wherever they exist. Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group, also welcomed the move, highlighting that Streameast had been siphoning value from sports at every level while putting fans at risk.
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Despite the success, experts warn that this is only part of the solution. Ben Woods, an analyst at Midia Research, pointed out that high subscription costs and the trend of young fans expecting free access on social media mean that illegal streaming is likely to continue in some form. He emphasized that making live sports more accessible legally is key to reducing piracy in the long term.
As part of the shutdown, anyone trying to access Streameast domains is now redirected to an ACE page that guides users toward legal streaming options. While Streameast’s original domain is offline, copycat or replacement sites have begun appearing, attempting to fill the void left by the takedown. ACE is actively investigating these imitators to determine if they are connected to the original network.
This crackdown is part of a broader global effort, with ACE working alongside law enforcement agencies in Europe, the United States, and beyond. It follows similar prosecutions in the U.K., where operators of illegal streaming sites have faced prison sentences for siphoning millions from the sports broadcasting industry.
In short, Streameast’s reign as the largest illegal sports streaming site has come to an end, marking a significant victory in the fight against piracy—but experts caution that the battle is far from over.
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