StreamEast – Richmond Journal of Law and Technology

International Crackdown on the Illegal Streaming of Sporting Events

By: Jack Brestel

What Happened?

Streameast, the world’s largest illegal sports streaming platform, was shut down September 3, 2025 by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global antipiracy group.[1] The website had 80 domains and received over 1.6 billion visits in the last year.[2] Streameast provided access to NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, boxing, MMA, motorsports, and various professional soccer matches.[3] ACE is a coalition of over 50 global media and entertainment organizations, including Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Paramount, that operate alongside law enforcement, including Europol and the U.S. Department of Justice, to reduce online piracy of copyrighted material.[4] In this case, two men in Egypt were arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement with authorities seizing laptops and smartphones believed to have helped operate the piracy websites as well as links to a shell company in the United Arab Emirates that allegedly conspired to launder over 6 million dollars.[5]

NFL and UFC Mobilize the Feds Against Illegal Streams

By: Donovan Sbiroli

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

Image via Homeland Security Investigations *HSI) and WIBX.

For fans of the National Football League (NFL) to have access to most out-of-market games throughout a season, they need to purchase “NFL Sunday Ticket.” The product, which is sold by Alphabet, Inc. under its YouTube TV service, costs $479 at the start of the season.[1] In lieu of paying the base price of $479, millions of fans have turned to piracy and illegal streams.

Domain names of such illegal streams can be seized, however. Section 2323 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code provides for civil asset forfeiture and seizure. Paragraph (a) of the section reads:

“The following property is subject to forfeiture to the United States Government: any article, the making or trafficking of which is prohibited under section 506 of title 17… any property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part to commit or facilitate the commission of an offense referred to in subparagraph (A)…For seizures made under this section, the court shall enter an appropriate protective order with respect to discovery and use of any records or information that has been seized . . . the court shall order that any property forfeited under paragraph (1) be destroyed.”[2]

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International Crackdown on the Illegal Streaming of Sporting Events

International Crackdown on the Illegal Streaming of Sporting Events

NFL and UFC Mobilize the Feds Against Illegal Streams

NFL and UFC Mobilize the Feds Against Illegal Streams