Man who sold ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks is jailed for two years after £108,000 scam – as ‘strong warning’ is sent amid crackdown on illegal Premier League streaming

A man has been jailed for two years after selling ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks which allow users to watch pirate streams of Premier League matches.

Sunny Kanda, 41, of Creek View, Wheatley, in Halifax infringed copyright laws when he sold the sticks.

He cheated legitimate providers out of more than £108,000 across an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022. 

It comes amid a crackdown on illegal streaming after repeated warnings from the Premier League. 

The practice has become a major problem in sports – at least 20 million people illegally watched Tyson Fury‘s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk last May, costing broadcasters a reported £80million in revenue. 

Kanda pleaded guilty to three charges relating to fraud, copyright and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity. He was sentenced on Friday at York Crown Court.

The devices allow users to watch sports events free of charge through a ‘jailbroken’ device

A campaign has launched to clamp down on Fire Sticks, which lose broadcasters revenue 

His customers were able to access a range of channels including Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Netflix, and Disney+. He ran a Facebook group for his hustle with 3,900 members. 

A hearing will be held on May 7 will decide if financial orders will be imposed on him.

The ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks resemble their Amazon counterparts but are hacked or ‘jailbroken’ to give access to paywalled content for free.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft’s (FACT) has been clamping down on the crime.

The campaign is focusing on dismantling piracy operations and has seen officers visit people in person as well as issuing cease-and-desist warnings in the mail, suggesting there would be criminal prosecution if they did not stop their activities immediately.

After Kanda’s sentencing, Kieron Sharp, CEO of Fact, said: ‘The outcome serves as both a consequence for those involved in these criminal activities, and as a strong warning to others considering similar action.

‘Illegal streaming isn’t a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industries, puts consumers at risk of data theft and often funds other serious crimes.’