ACE Dismantles Massive ‘Streameast’ Live Sports Piracy Network in Global Operation
Published
- Piracy crackdown: A comprehensive anti-piracy operation seized more than 80 domains involved in illegally distributing live sports events.
- Streameast takedown: The action targeted a sophisticated network of Streameast domains seized during coordinated raids.
- Mixed results: While taking down several domains and clones, the main Streameast service remained active.
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has successfully concluded a major ACE Streameast takedown operation in collaboration with Egyptian authorities, dismantling what industry officials characterize as the world's most extensive sports piracy network.
The comprehensive anti-piracy operation resulted in the seizure of over 80 domain names that facilitated the unauthorized distribution of live sports content to global audiences. Yet, Streameast remained available through alternative and regularly updated domains.
Operational Scope and Infrastructure Impact
The enforcement action targeted a sophisticated network of Streameast domains seized during coordinated raids, including high-traffic platforms such as boxingbite.app, nbastreams.app, mlbbite.net, and streameast.app, which had more traffic than the original Streameast.
Domain seizure protocols redirected traffic to ACE's "Watch Legally" landing page, effectively eliminating access to pirated content streams.
The ACE report revealed the network's annual traffic exceeded 1.6 billion visits, demonstrating the substantial scale of unauthorized sports content consumption across global markets.
The seized infrastructure encompassed specialized platforms targeting specific sporting events and leagues, including domains focused on Formula 1 racing, mixed martial arts, professional basketball, and major league baseball content.
Industry Response and Enforcement Significance
Motion Picture Association Chairman Charles Rivkin characterized the operation as a "resounding victory" against digital piracy operations that undermine legitimate sports broadcasting investments.
DAZN Group COO Ed McCarthy emphasized the criminal network's systematic value extraction from professional sports organizations and associated security risks to global audiences.
The enforcement action specifically targeted copycat operations rather than the original Streameast platform, which remains operational under different infrastructure management.
Egyptian authorities provided critical jurisdictional support for the international enforcement initiative, enabling comprehensive domain seizures across multiple top-level domains, including .app, .net, .com, and .org extensions.
Ongoing Anti-Piracy Implications
The operation demonstrates evolving enforcement strategies that prioritize high-traffic clone networks over original source platforms.
Recently, an individual suspected of operating a pirate site, Al Ángulo TV, was arrested in Argentina as part of a copyright crackdown operation. Also, India introduced a superlative injunction to combat online piracy on mobile apps and websites.
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