Police and anti-fraud squads are cracking down on illegal streaming devices across the UK, with both suppliers and viewers facing fines of up to £50,000 and potential prison sentencesKate Lally SEO writer and Sam Cooper Audience Editor
12:44, 01 Jan 2026
(Image: Homesh Nasre via Getty Images)
Police and fraud prevention teams have been targeting users of ‘illegal’ Amazon Fire Stick devices throughout various regions of the UK, including the East Midlands.
These ‘illegal’ Amazon Fire Sticks are altered variants that permit viewers to watch premium television channels without subscription fees, and they’ve been making their way into households nationwide.
Fire Sticks are streaming media gadgets that allow viewers to watch videos, listen to music, and download applications on their televisions.
Offenders modify these devices to grant unauthorised entry to premium programming from official providers including Sky, BT Sport, Disney+ and Netflix.
Amazon’s newest Fire Stick variant is presenting considerable challenges for individuals seeking to unlawfully stream programmes.
The latest Fire TV Stick launched several months ago, shortly before Amazon’s global anti-piracy initiative.
A representative from National Trading Standards previously cautioned: “Accessing pirated content through illegal TV fire sticks undermines the UK’s entertainment industry, putting its talented workforce and supply chains at risk by depriving them of fair earnings and revenue. It also puts consumers at risk by exposing them to illegal software that can put their data and bank details in jeopardy.
“An important reminder to all those who buy and sell TV firesticks is that crime does not pay, it breaches copyright law and we encourage people to report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service.”
It’s estimated that nearly five million individuals throughout the UK have utilised unlawful sports streaming services, with bodies such as the Premier League, Sky and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) working alongside law enforcement to eradicate this activity.
Individuals caught illegally streaming content may face penalties reaching thousands of pounds, along with the possibility of imprisonment for up to 12 months. More severe consequences await those discovered selling such equipment, reports the Mirror.
During 2024, Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices that allowed users to unlawfully access Premier League football fixtures.
Subsequently in 2025, Sunny Kanda, then 40, from Creek View in Halifax, received a two-year jail term relating to “supplying and distributing TV fire sticks and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity”.
Law enforcement agencies, anti-piracy groups and broadcasting companies have been working to dismantle this market through financial penalties and residential searches.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey, from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit, cautioned: “Illegal streaming might look like a quick way to save money, but as this research shows, it’s a false economy that can end up costing people thousands.
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff. At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, cybercrime and fraud. This research is crucial for helping us understand those dangers and why initiatives like BeStreamWise matter.
“They give the public the tools and knowledge to stay safe online and enjoy content legally and securely. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that this activity is disrupted and those involved are held to account.”
FACT has cautioned that both distributors and viewers could face penalties reaching £50,000 for utilising modified Fire Sticks to unlawfully access Sky and Premier League programming. Whilst those watching unauthorised streams might encounter lesser sanctions, they could still be penalised with fines totalling thousands of pounds.
Unauthorised streaming can be obtained through different gadgets, but amongst the most common approaches involves “jailbroken” Fire Sticks, which have been fitted with third-party media server applications. Kodi represents the most commonly utilised software.
Purchasing or distributing these altered gadgets is equally illegal. These have gained recognition as “fully-loaded” gadgets, terminology that describes how the software has been modified to grant access to premium-only channels.
A government spokesperson has previously stated: “These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free-to-air content. They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.”
The recent clampdown has not only been confined to the UK but has also reached Ireland, where 13 unlawful IPTV operators have been served with legal warnings. The authorities demanded an immediate halt to their illegal streaming activities, warning of severe consequences, including potential criminal charges.
The legal warnings were dispatched across Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Offaly, Limerick, Louth, Clare, Westmeath and Laois. Delivered in person, by post and electronically, the intervention proved successful, resulting in service terminations, social media account deletions, subscription cancellations and financial settlements.
Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, commented: “Together with our partners we will continue to identify and take action against Illegal IPTV service providers. They are breaking the law, making criminal profits and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft.
“We want to protect consumers from these risks and operations such as this ensure the message goes out. It is not scaremongering; these are real criminal actions which consumers and their families are exposed to. These investigations and operations will continue this new year.”
17 UK regions targeted in ‘dodgy’ Fire Stick crackdown
- London
- Kent
- Sussex
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Lincolnshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- East and West Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Cheshire
- Merseyside
- Northumbria
- North Yorkshire
- South Wales
- North East England
- North West England
Amazon has introduced new safeguards to tackle illegal streaming on their devices through the latest iteration of the Fire Stick. The updated Fire TV Stick 4K Select will operate on an alternative system called Vega OS.
This development means that modified Android apps will no longer work on newer devices, as the ability to install third-party applications will be eliminated. Amazon explained that exclusively apps from the Amazon Appstore on Fire TV will be accessible for download “for enhanced security” in what marks a significant hurdle for those who create them.
“Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “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.
“This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud.”