Fifteen retail outlets across nine counties have been targeted in a nationwide crackdown on the sale of illegal streaming services, according to the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).
The enforcement operation, carried out in partnership with Sky TV, saw legal notices delivered to stores and resellers in Cavan, Donegal, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Mayo, Meath and Wexford. Eleven of the visits were conducted by FACT investigators, while Sky’s legal representatives carried out four more.
The outlets were found to be either selling subscriptions to illicit streaming platforms, supplying “dodgy boxes” configured to access them, or referring customers to resellers via phone numbers and advertising materials.
Following last month’s operation, all 15 outlets were given a deadline to cease the activities or face further action. FACT confirmed that “the vast majority have responded to the legal notices and have agreed to cease their illegal activities.”
This marks the first time FACT has directly targeted retail outlets. The organisation said shops are “a crucial gateway for consumers being drawn into illegal streaming” and that disrupting activity at street level is vital to protecting the public.
FACT Chairman Kieron Sharp described the move as part of a broader strategy to dismantle every link in the piracy supply chain. “When shop owners sell illegal streaming devices, subscriptions or act as referral points to providers, they are supporting criminal organisations and generating criminal profits,” he said.
The operation builds on previous enforcement against piracy in Ireland. Since March 2023, FACT and its partners have closed down nearly 70 illegal streaming services across the country.
Mr Sharp stressed that while the legal notices are not binding, they make clear the potential consequences for businesses that continue the practice, including civil or criminal action. He emphasised the importance of education alongside enforcement.
“We don’t want to criminalise everybody. We certainly don’t want to criminalise customers,” Mr Sharp told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. “We want to turn customers into legal paying customers. This is a disruptive exercise and a preventative exercise as well.”
He added that illegal streaming is far from a victimless crime, highlighting the losses incurred by broadcasters and the wider creative industry. “The money paid for sports rights by television companies has to be recouped, so all of those companies can continue producing content. If people don’t pay for it, it won’t exist,” he said.
FACT continues to work with broadcasters, rights holders and law enforcement in Ireland and the UK to combat piracy and raise awareness of its impact.
