- 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.