A 68-year-old man has been jailed for six-and-a-half years after running a large illegal IPTV operation that generated close to £1 million in profits from pirated television and sports broadcasts.
Milan Ibrahim, from Chorley, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on August 27 after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud.
His illegal streaming operation redistributed content from broadcasters and rights holders including Sky, BBC, TNT Sports and the Premier League, selling access to subscribers over a period of around three years.
An investigation led by the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) discovered 80 servers operating from premises in Chorley. The servers were seized and shut down, significantly disrupting the illegal service.
Ibrahim now faces further proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which could result in authorities seeking to recover money generated through the sale of the illegal IPTV subscriptions.
PIPCU said illegal IPTV services cause financial harm across the creative industries, affecting broadcasters, rights holders and the people involved in producing television, film and sporting content.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which identified the illegal service and referred it to PIPCU, said the sentence demonstrated the serious consequences facing operators who profit from piracy.
The Premier League also welcomed the conviction, describing Ibrahim as one of the UK’s more prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate streaming services.
The case represents another significant enforcement action against Britain’s illegal IPTV market, where operators commonly provide unauthorised access to premium television channels and live sports through internet-connected devices.
