The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police teamed with industry partners in a law enforcement action against an illegal IPTV streaming operation. PIPCU announced four arrests in Manchester, during which ten servers and associated equipment were seized. Each item was valued at approximately £75,000, with total seizures exceeding £750,000. The four arrested individuals were later released under investigation.
That investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to a large scale illicit streaming service. Investigators identified the individuals believed to be operating an illegal IPTV service that supplied millions of consumers across the UK. One suspect is alleged to have generated more than £3 million in revenue from the operation.
During the operation, officers shut down the servers on site. Sky confirmed that widespread disruption affected their illegal streaming output across the UK. The impact demonstrates the tangible effect of coordinated enforcement on protecting consumers and the creative industries.
Why it matters
The scale and sophistication of the infrastructure uncovered, highlights the ongoing need for vigilance as the television industry celebrate another century of innovation. This law enforcement operation operation exemplified an effective collaboration with industry to disrupt organized financial crime.
“It is more important than ever that our team works to protect the integrity of broadcasting and the millions of people who rely on it,” said Detective Constable Jordan Day, of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police. “This operation demonstrates the impact we can have when we work closely with partners like Sky to dismantle these illegal networks, sending a clear message to those who profit from piracy that they will be held to account.”
Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky added “People who watch illegal streams should know that it isn’t a victimless crime: recent research by BeStreamWise advise that nearly 65% of illegal streamers have faced security scares like malware through these unlawful methods. This action will help keep consumers, their devices and their personal data safe.”
Further reading
Four arrested in Manchester as PIPCU dismantls £750k illegal IPTV operation that halts millions of illegal streams. Press release. February 2, 2026. Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), City of London Police
