Football piracy ring ‘mastermind’ given £1 million fine for ISD sales

A British man, who had previously been sentenced to more than seven years in prison, has been handed a £1 million fine for selling illegal streaming devices (ISDs). 

Steven King, described by the English Premier League as the ‘mastermind’ behind the pirate streaming operation Dreambox, was jailed for seven years and four months in March 2019.

In a further hearing at Warwick Crown Court on June 6, King was ordered to forfeit the proceeds of his criminal activities and pay back £963,000 within three months or face having his stay in prison extended by an additional six years and eight months.

He must also surrender his passport within 28 days and cannot travel abroad until the sum has been paid. 

King was the leader of the three-man Dreambox piracy ring, which operated under the names Dreambox (unincorporated), Dreambox TV Limited, and Digital Switchover Limited, via websites at dreamboxtv.co.uk and yourfootie.com. Between them, the three men were sentenced to a total of 17 years for conspiracy to defraud.

Premier League general counsel Kevin Plumb said: “This result clearly shows that supplying illegal streams is a criminal offence leading to prison sentences and significant financial consequences. We are pleased the courts have recognised the seriousness of piracy-related crimes and the Premier League has requested all money recovered goes back to public bodies, including law enforcement agencies, to help them continue the fantastic work they do in helping bring people like this to justice.

FACT CEO Kieron Sharp said: “This is a warning to anyone selling subscriptions or devices that allow access to content without remunerating the legitimate provider – you risk time in jail and the loss of your properties, cars and other proceeds of crime. FACT will continue to work with the Premier League and other rights holders to crack down on illegal streaming and to hold those behind it accountable for their actions.”