Amazon’s popular Fire TV Sticks have become renowned for allowing homes to tune into premium content without paying the usual high subscription fees. However, the days of watching things – such as Sky Sports – illegally appear to be numbered. Amazon recently announced that it is cracking down on so-called “dodgy” Fire TV Sticks, with the company set to block any apps that appear to offer users access to illegal streams.

Speaking recently to Express.co.uk, an Amazon spokesperson said: “Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore.

“Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our Appstore.”

Although many users are still able to access illegal streaming services via their Fire TV Sticks, it appears the crackdown is now starting, with some already seeing a “warning’ message.

As spotted by the team at AFTVnews, once a dodgy application is launched, an alert pops up which states that the software has been identified as offering access to illegal content.

“Warning. One or more apps on your device have been identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content, including this app, and will be disabled. To remove this app now, select “Uninstall”.”

Users then still have the option to launch the app, but the alert gives a good indication that it’s been spotted and a ban is on the way.

It’s unclear when a full block will come into force, but Amazon says the update will start being rolled out in Europe first, with UK users being blocked at some point in the future.

Although this change will go some way toward stopping illegal streaming, it won’t address the underlying issue of why people are streaming illegally in the first place.

Top analyst Paolo Pescatore told Express.co.uk that the change is “long-overdue” and the move is a “step in the right direction”.

However, there is a broader problem: consumers are being forced to pay increasingly high subscription fees to access content.

“Broadcasters are spending more to secure live sports rights and passing these costs onto consumers who can’t afford them, leading to a messy, fragmented experience,” Pescatore added.