Four people were arrested, and an illegal IPTV operation was shut down following a police raid in Manchester. The City of London’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit seized ten servers that were allegedly supplying pirated IPTV content to millions of users across the UK. Police claim that one of the suspects generated at least £3 million (approximately $4 million) in revenue from the operation.
UK police have shut down an illegal UK-based IPTV service following a complaint from Sky, one of the region’s top broadcasting networks. The City of London’s Intellectual Property Crime unit began the investigations after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to a potential illegal streaming service. This service allowed viewers to watch live Premier League games without a subscription.
Four suspects were also arrested after officers raided a site in Manchester and uncovered ten servers used to supply the pirated content to millions of users across the UK. Each server was valued at approximately £75,000 (~$102,000), and the police seized a total of over £750,000 (~$1 million).
Illegal IPTV services in the UK have largely affected content owners and rights holders, making them lose millions in profits. UK police have been at the forefront in curbing piracy in the region, calling the services “organized criminal operations” that generate millions in illegal profits.
“Criminals continue to provide illegal IPTV streaming services to consumers. These services are not harmless alternatives. They are examples of organized criminal operations generating millions in illegal profits,” said Detective Constable Jordan Day of the City of London’s Intellectual Property Crime unit.
Piracy Is Not a Victimless Crime
Illegal IPTV consumers see it as a victimless crime that lets them access live sports, movies, and TV channels for free or at a fraction of the cost of legitimate subscriptions. However, as Matt Hibbert reveals, at least 65 percent of illegal streamers have faced security scares while using illegitimate IPTV services. Hibbert is the group director of anti-piracy at Sky.
Unlawful streaming exposes subscribers to risks, including malware, viruses, and identity theft from leaked data.
“People who watch illegal streams should know that it isn’t a victimless crime. Recent research by BeStreamWise advises that nearly 65 percent of illegal streamers have faced security scares like malware through these unlawful methods,” revealed Hibbert.
Shutting down such illegal operations helps protect sensitive user data and home devices.
“This action will help keep consumers, their devices, and their personal data safe“, he added.
For IPTV Users!
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UK Police To Work With Partners To Curb Piracy
As the region marked 100 years of television, the UK police have vowed to collaborate with industry partners to curb the widespread illegal IPTV streaming. According to a press release by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, law enforcement is taking decisive action against organized financial crime.
The Feb 2026 operation saw police officers shut down the illegal IPTV service servers on site. Sky confirmed a widespread disruption of illegal streaming following this shutdown, demonstrating the tangible effect of coordinated enforcement. Stopping illegal IPTV streaming protects both the consumers and the creative industries.
“It’s more important than ever that our team works to protect the integrity of broadcasting and the millions of people who rely on it. This operation demonstrates the impact we can have when we work closely with partners like Sky to dismantle these illegal networks, sending a clear message to those who profit from piracy that they will be held to account“, said Detective Constable Jordan Day.
Content owners and rights holders also believe that working together with law enforcement will curb piracy in the long run.
“We take the protection of our content extremely seriously, given the significant investment we make, and we will continue to work with the police and industry partners to disrupt the criminal networks behind piracy,” said Hibbert.
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