Two suppliers of illegal streaming devices have each been jailed for four-and-a-half years in Newcastle Crown Court. John Dodds and Jason Richards sold hundreds of devices that allowed customers unauthorised access to Sky Sports & BT Sports and other foreign channels that broadcast Premier League football. The pair have been found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and were arrested following an investigation by the Premier League, working in partnership with FACT.
Their criminal activity saw them earn in the region of £1.5million through the sale of these illegal devices and other equipment. Dodds attempted to prevent evidence being discovered by hiding the keys to a car full of equipment and documentation, including a list of all his clients. Richards also tried to conceal evidence just before being arrested by destroying hard drives and hiding information in his deep freezer.
Premier League Director of Legal Services, Kevin Plumb, said. that the ruling was "a hugely significant judgement" as it provides further evidence selling these streaming devices is illegal and can result in a prison sentence:
We hope this verdict gets the message out that selling or using these devices is simply not worth the risk. The many things fans enjoy about the Premier League – the ability that clubs have to develop and acquire talented players, to build and improve stadiums, and to support communities and schools – is all predicated on being able to market, sell and protect rights. We are pleased the Courts have recognised that in this case.
Kieron Sharp, the CEO of FACT, called the result "an excellent example of how serious an issue illegal streaming is":
TV boxes and sticks that allow consumers to illegally stream sports, such as Premier League matches, not only have a huge effect on the content owners and broadcasters but the thousands of people working tirelessly behind the scenes to put the sport on our screens.
This is no longer a grey area – selling devices like this or using one at home to watch content you normally would pay for is breaking the law.
This sentencing should send out a very clear and strong message to anyone involved in the sale of these devices that it is very much illegal and that they risk spending time behind bars.
The Premier League's crackdown on illegal streaming is not restricted to the UK and has included shutting down an illegal ISP in Spain and working with Thai authorities to take down the large-scale supply of illegal streaming devices across South East Asia.
