Sting operation kills “copycat” sports piracy site with 1.6B visits last year

A significant collaboration among a global antipiracy coalition has led to the dismantling of Streameast, heralded as the world's largest illegal live sports streaming service. This initiative involved major entertainment entities such as Apple TV+, Netflix, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery, reflecting a united front against online piracy. In the wake of the operation, attempts to access Streameast now redirect users to a message from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), promoting legal avenues for sports viewing. Despite this, some users report ongoing access to a different, original version of Streameast, highlighting the persistent challenges faced by rights holders and sports fans alike. The ACE revealed that the now-defunct Streameast network boasted an impressive 1.6 billion visits over the past year, averaging around 136 million monthly visits. This network encompassed 80 associated domains and has allegedly streamed over 10,000 sports events illegally during its six-year run. Traffic was predominantly traced back to the US, Canada, the UK, the Philippines, and Germany. The sting operation was the culmination of an investigation that spanned from July 2024 to June 2025, according to reports. It involved collaboration with various authorities, including Egyptian law enforcement, Europol, and the US Department of Justice. On August 24 and 25, police executed coordinated raids in El Sheikh Zayed City, resulting in the arrest of two individuals suspected of leading the illegal streaming operation. During the operation, authorities seized significant evidence, including cash, connections to a UAE company implicated in laundering $6.2 million in advertising revenue, and $200,000 in cryptocurrency. Furthermore, they confiscated devices such as laptops and smartphones used in the piracy operations, alongside credit cards containing approximately $123,561. This crackdown underscores the ongoing battle against digital piracy and the commitment of authorities to protect intellectual property rights.