Households that have been watching Sky’s content without paying an official monthly subscription may suddenly find their access to premium sports and movies has disappeared. UK Police have confirmed that a major illegal streaming operation has been shut down for good, with millions of streams taken offline.

The online platform is believed to have offered unauthorised access to a vast library of premium content, including Sky TV channels. The massive law enforcement crackdown took place last week in Manchester, where four people were arrested and streaming equipment worth an estimated £750,000 was seized.

An initial investigation began after Sky flagged suspicious activity linked to a large-scale piracy network. Officers then identified a number of individuals allegedly running the illegal IPTV service that supplied content to millions of users across the UK. One suspect is thought to have made more than £3 million.

Police say that this latest crackdown is an example of collaboration between industry and law enforcement to disrupt organised financial crime. 

While authorities have not targeted households that used the illegal streams, viewers will now find that the content they were watching has been blocked.

Speaking about the latest crackdown, Detective Constable Jordan Day from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police, said “Criminals continue to offer illegal IPTV services to consumers.

“These services are not harmless alternatives; they are organised criminal enterprises generating millions in illegal profits.

“This operation shows the importance of protecting the integrity of broadcasting and the millions of people who depend on it. Working closely with partners like Sky allows us to dismantle these networks and send a clear message that those who profit from piracy will be held accountable.”

Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, welcomed the action. “We’re grateful to PIPCU for taking decisive steps against a major pirate operation. We invest heavily in our content and take its protection extremely seriously. We’ll continue working with police and industry partners to disrupt the criminal networks behind piracy.

“Anyone using illegal streams should understand this isn’t a victimless activity. Research from BeStreamWise shows nearly 65% of illegal streamers have experienced security issues, including malware. This action helps protect consumers, their devices and their personal data.”