Connect with us

General Football News

Five men jailed for illegally streaming Premier League matches

Five men have reportedly been jailed for operating one of the United Kingdom’s largest illicit streaming services. 

According to BBC Sport, the gang made more than £7 million after selling £10 a month subscriptions to their 50,000 customers. 

Prime mover Mark Gould received more than £1.7m through this operation. 

Sky Sports and BT Sports, the current right holders of the top-flight matches in the UK, offer subscriptions that cost in the region of £80 per month. 

But the arrested men offered the service for only £10 a month through their pirate streaming organisations. 

Derby Crown Court sentenced the gang to more than 30 years in prison.  

Gould was sentenced to 11 years in prison, while the other members were issued sentences ranging from three to more than five years. 

The sentencing follows a historic private prosecution by the Premier League to stop the illegal streaming of some of the world’s most valuable sporting events.


Many football games are unavailable to watch on television in the UK due to the ‘blackout’ broadcasting rule, which has been in place for decades. 

The rule is intended to encourage fans to attend football matches in person, but it is also causing many people to seek alternative illegal sources. 

Related TopicsGeneral Football News Premier League

More in General Football News