The court order allows Sky to direct ISP to take down illegal streams of high profile sports such as The Ashes
Sky has won a court order intended to block the illegal streaming of Premier League football and Sky Atlantic content including HBO shows screened as part of its output deal with the US studio.
According to the Financial Times, which first reported on the matter, the blocking order requires UK online platforms to prevent unauthorized access to streams from the broadcaster’s linear channels
The use of internet TV media boxes that facilitate illegal streaming has seen a rise in recent years, the majority come preloaded with software capable of streaming channels from around the world.
The ruling is similar in nature to the Premier League’s previous four-season blocking order and is designed to protect a broader range of content encompassing its entire programming lineup. Under this new order, Sky gains the authority to take down individual pirate sites during specific times. A third-party group identifies the source of illegal streams via IP addresses or dedicated servers, which is then provided to internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to these locations on their networks.
This approach empowers Sky to block illegal access to high-profile events like The Ashes on Sky Sports Cricket or specific TV shows such as House of the Dragon on Sky Atlantic when they are first broadcast and reach their largest audience.
Blocking has proven to be an effective strategy in combating piracy within the industry. Last season, the Premier League’s UK blocking order successfully halted or removed over 600,000 illegal live streams.
In May, In what is understood to be the world’s largest-ever prosecution of an illegal streaming network, five people were sentenced at Chesterfield Justice Centre after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and contempt of court.
One defendant, Mark Gould, aged 36 and from London, who masterminded the operation was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
