Streameast, world’s largest illegal live sports streaming network, shut down after 1.6 billion visits
Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment says collaboration with Egyptian authorities closed 80-domain operation that offered unauthorized access to top soccer, F1 and MLB events
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced Wednesday that the notorious sports piracy network Streameast has been shut down after drawing more than 1.6 billion visits in the past year.
ACE, a U.S.-based antipiracy coalition, said the action was carried out in collaboration with Egyptian authorities and involved the closure of 80 associated domains. The coalition described Streameast as the largest illicit live sports streaming operation in the world.
"Today, 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," ACE chairman Charles Rivkin, who is also chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, said in the announcement. "With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide."
Streameast had offered unauthorized access to matches across Europe's top soccer leagues and other marquee sporting events. ACE said the site allowed millions of users to watch pirated streams of Premier League football fixtures, Formula One races and Major League Baseball games, among other events.
Anti-piracy groups and broadcasters have repeatedly warned that illegal live streaming of sports has grown rapidly. A report earlier this year described illegal sports streaming as operating at an "industrial scale," and industry figures show the global value of sports media rights passed the $60 billion mark last year. Rights holders say unchecked piracy undermines contracts, sponsorship deals and long-term investments in leagues and competitions.
ACE did not provide further operational details beyond the domain closures but framed the shutdown as part of a broader effort to protect legitimate sports broadcasters, rights holders and fans. The coalition has pursued multiple legal and technical measures in recent years to disrupt websites and services that transmit live sports without authorization.
Sports leagues, broadcasters and commercial partners typically rely on exclusive media-rights agreements that grant companies the ability to distribute matches and events in defined territories. Industry executives have argued that large-scale piracy erodes the commercial value of those agreements and can force higher fees for consumers as rights costs rise.
The Streameast shutdown follows a string of law-enforcement and civil actions against piracy operations worldwide. ACE, formed by major entertainment and media companies, has coordinated with national authorities in other countries on takedowns and domain seizures in recent years, though the precise legal steps and any potential criminal investigations related to this action were not detailed in the coalition's announcement.
Rights holders and anti-piracy advocates said the move will be closely watched as they assess the lasting impact on illicit streaming activity and whether users will migrate to other illicit platforms or return to licensed services. ACE called the intervention a significant setback for digital piracy networks that specialize in live sports content.