Two arrested and illegal streaming services disrupted

Two people in their 30s have been arrested in connection with an investigation into an illegal streaming service.

Detectives from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police executed search warrants at two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham during the early hours of 3 July 2025.

They arrested both a 30-year-old man, who they suspect ran the illegal streaming service, and a 32-year-old woman on suspicion of distributing material infringing copyright and receiving criminal property. An investigation by PIPCU suggests that the man and woman received significant profits derived from the service.

Seven servers, which were used to distribute the infringing content, were seized from the data centre. It is believed that this activity has caused major disruption to a number of pirate services.

A business premises in West Bromwich was searched later during the day, from which documents and computers were seized for further examination.

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said:

“This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative and entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff. At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware.”

The service provided illegal access to Sky channels.

Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, said:

“We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation. We will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it. This action helps to keep consumers safe from the serious risks that piracy can pose to devices and personal property.”

According to BeStreamWise, around one in three people who illegally stream in the UK say that they, or someone they know, have been a victim of fraud or identity theft as a result.

The man and woman have since been released under investigation.