2025 Entertainment and Sports

• Streameast drew 1.6 billion visits in the past year across 80 domains

• Egyptian police and ACE terminated the operation after yearlong probe

• Authorities seized devices, cash and crypto; two suspects arrested

Major blow to illegal streaming

The world’s largest sports pirating platform, Streameast, has been shut down following a coordinated sting operation in Egypt. Authorities, working with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), terminated the site on Aug. 24 after a yearlong investigation that tracked the sprawling piracy network.

Streameast had grown into the most popular illegal source for live sports, racking up 1.6 billion visits in the past year. The site offered streams of marquee events including the NFL, NBA, MLB, European football championships, pay-per-view boxing and Formula 1 races. With an average of 136 million monthly visitors, it ranked among the most visited piracy hubs worldwide, attracting audiences in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., the Philippines and Germany.

Arrests and seizures outside Cairo

Egyptian authorities arrested two men about 20 miles outside Cairo under suspicion of copyright infringement. Police confiscated laptops, smartphones, cash, credit cards and other equipment allegedly tied to the operation. Investigators also uncovered evidence of a shell company used to launder advertising revenue, estimated at $6.2 million, as well as an investment of $200,000 in cryptocurrency. Some of the proceeds were allegedly used to purchase property in Egypt.

Global alliance backing the takedown

ACE, one of the world’s largest antipiracy coalitions, partnered with Egyptian law enforcement and received assistance from Europol, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre.

“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,” said Charles Rivkin, chairman of ACE and head of the Motion Picture Assn.

Redirecting viewers to legal channels

All Streameast-linked domains — about 80 in total — will now redirect users to ACE’s “watch legally” portal, which promotes authorized streaming platforms. The takedown comes just as the NFL prepares to kick off its regular season, underscoring the high stakes for sports leagues battling piracy.

What fans watched most on Streameast

Streameast built its following by streaming some of the biggest and most lucrative sports events in the world. According to investigators, the site’s 1.6 billion visits in the past year were driven by access to:

• NFL games — Regular season, playoffs and the Super Bowl

• NBA matchups — From marquee regular-season clashes to the Finals

• Major League Baseball — Regular season and World Series broadcasts

• European football — Champions League, Premier League and continental championships

• Pay-per-view boxing — Heavyweight title fights and celebrity bouts

• Formula 1 races — Full-season coverage across global circuits

By offering these high-demand events for free, Streameast siphoned millions of potential viewers away from official broadcasters and generated an estimated $6.2 million in advertising revenue.

The table is set for Super Bowl LIX, when the Kansas City Chiefs meet the Philadelphia Eagles in their bid to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl games.

Regardless of which team you’re backing, everyone will be a winner at the supermarket when they stock up for Super Bowl party supplies. An analysis by Datasembly, which tracks grocery prices in real-time, finds a typical party spread will cost much less than last year -- down by nearly 5%.

For example, the price of tortilla chips, a staple of any sports gathering, is down by one-third in the last 12 months, falling from $6.69 to $4.49 per bag. The price of chunky chili with beans is down over 20%, falling from $3.16 in 2024 to $2.51 this year.

The cost of a 16 oz. package of guacamole dip is down by 7% and the price of a frozen cheese pizza is 5% less.

In fact, most items on the list cost less than they did last year. A couple of exceptions include French onion dip, which costs 10% more this year, and the price of a mini-can six-pack of cola is up nearly 7%.

The complete menu, with price adjustments, is below:

With the Super Bowl just a few weeks away, there’s some exciting news for consumers thinking about how they’ll watch the big game. 

Tubi, the free, ad-supported streamer that's owned by Fox Corporation, will be streaming the game for free on its platform. With Fox hosting the Super Bowl on its networks, the network has announced that the game will also be available for free viewing on Tubi. 

However, this is a first. Fox also had the rights to the Super Bowl in 2023, and the game was only available for broadcast on the direct TV channel or Fox’s website. 

Now, consumers will be able to stream the game for free on Tubi wherever they are on Super Bowl Sunday, 

No subscription is required

To stream the Super Bowl on February 9, there’s no subscription or membership required. Consumers simply need to create an account with Tubi – that asks for only an email address and password. From there, they’ll get free access to the game. 

Football fans will also get access to all of the pregame coverage on Tubi. The streamer has its own pregame show that begins at 3:30 p.m. ET, the Tubi Red Carpet Event, before the game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

The stream will be accessible anywhere consumers can access Tubi – on their smart TVs, mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc. 

In addition to Tubi, consumers can access the Super Bowl on the following platforms: local Fox TV channels, Fox Deportes, Telemundo, Fox’s website, and all of the NFL’s digital platforms.