'They Can't Stop Us': StreamEast Denies Shutdown Amid Reports Illegal Streaming Giant Was Taken Offline

Despite reports that the illegal streaming behemoth StreamEast had been taken offline, a surprising message from the service's administrators declared, 'They Can't Stop Us.'

This defiant statement follows widespread speculation about the platform's demise, leaving many to wonder about the future of illicit sports broadcasting.

The Downfall of an Illicit Empire

A new report confirms that the world's biggest illegal sports streaming service has been taken down. The service, which garnered over 1.6 billion visits in the last year — a figure equivalent to almost 20% of the global population — broadcast a diverse range of events, attracting fans to stream major competitions such as the Premier League and Champions League.

The website, called 'StreamEast', also featured content from the NFL and NBA. Its closure follows a year-long inquiry that, according to reports, led to two arrests.

The Athletic reports that StreamEast operated across 80 different unapproved domains. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) — a coalition of 50 media and entertainment firms, such as Amazon and Netflix — stated that on Sunday, 24 August, it worked with Egyptian law enforcement on an operation.

The platform has addressed the reports of its shutdown directly on social media. In a defiant post on X, the account for StreamEast News Network simply stated, 'They can't stop us', a message that has since caused confusion among its user base.

While many celebrated the news, others were quick to mock the statement. 'You've already been stopped !!!! News flash', one user wrote. Another added, 'All bark no bite', while a third simply commented, 'Nope'. Some people, however, seemed happy about the site's return, with one user noting, 'you're back?? let's goo.' Another user wrote, 'We are many, we are legion.'

In a separate post, StreamEast debunked the rumour, stating: 'We haven't been shut down.' This post came despite official announcements from ACE and Egyptian authorities claiming a successful operation that led to arrests and the takedown of the network.

The Investigation and Arrests

Two men were reportedly detained for suspected copyright infringement in El-Sheikh Zaid, located in Egypt's Giza Governorate. Authorities are said to have confiscated their phones and laptops, which are believed to have been used to run the site.

Cash and credit cards were also seized, and investigators reportedly discovered connections to a company in the UAE. This company is accused of laundering £4.9 million in advertising profits since 2010, along with another £150,000 in cryptocurrency.

Industry Officials Respond

'ACE scored a resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy, by taking down the largest illegal live sports platform anywhere', said Charles Rivkin, chairman of ACE and chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

He added: 'With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies and fans worldwide, and our global alliance will stay on the field as long as it takes to identify and target the biggest piracy rings across the globe.'

With an average of 136 million monthly visitors, StreamEast's user base grew concerned it would be targeted by law enforcement last year after basketball star LeBron James was seen using the site to watch an NBA game while seated courtside.

Officials from licensed streaming platforms had previously expressed worries. Ed McCarthy, the COO of DAZN Group and a member of ACE, remarked that 'Dismantling StreamEast is a major victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem.'

'This criminal operation was siphoning value from sports at every level and putting fans across the world at risk.' The Athletic reported that a DAZN executive had previously stated, 'I think there's almost an argument to say you can't get exclusive rights anymore because piracy is so bad.'

The primary domain for StreamEast is now inactive; however, the site had previously used domains in countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It has also been reported that some of its backup domains are still operational.

The Threat of 'Copycat' Sites

ACE is not only aware of the threat posed by 'copycat' websites, but it is also looking into whether any are connected to the original platform. The takedown is a significant success for licensed streaming services, which typically require a subscription to access content they have legally acquired the broadcast rights.

For instance, in December 2023, the Premier League secured a new £6.7 billion television rights agreement with Sky and TNT Sports.

While potential penalties are currently unknown, 36-year-old Stephen Woodward was sentenced to three years in prison at York Crown Court in July after admitting to operating three illegal streaming websites in Yorkshire. Through his illicit business, he earned over £1 million, which he used to purchase a Jaguar sports car, go on holidays and buy jewellery.