He had set up an elaborate system of illegal broadcasting of Premier League matches, now he will have to go to the cash register to avoid almost seven additional years in prison.
Steven King has long been English football’s public enemy number one. He had developed pirate services allowing illegal viewing of Premier League football matches, before being caught by the patrol and being brought to justice in the UK in 2019.
A large fine or a double prison sentence
This was then very severe, condemning the one who was considered the brain of the network he had set up to seven years and four months in prison. But Steven King is not at the end of his sentences since the Warwick Crown Court also ordered him to pay the sum of 963,000 pounds for his misdeeds.
The pirate has three months to pay this amount, otherwise his prison sentence will be extended by six years and an additional eight months to reach a total of 14 years in prison. He must also return his passport within 28 days and is prohibited from leaving the territory until the sum has not been paid.
With the help of his partners Paul Rolstona and Daniel Malone, Steven King had created three companies, Dreambox, Dreambox TV Limited and Digital Switchover Limited as well as two websites, DreamBoxTV.co.uk and YourFootie.com, to offer subscriptions allowing to watch Premier League matches. Individuals and bars had subscribed to watch the English championship at a lower cost.
Premier League happy with verdict
The trio’s business lasted a decade, during which more than 20 broadcasters saw their streams retransmitted by these pirate platforms. The income generated by the activity is estimated at 5 million pounds.
For the Premier League, such a court decision is a victory. The institution hopes it will have a deterrent effect on other pirates. ” This clearly shows that providing illegal streams is a criminal offense resulting in prison terms and significant financial consequences. “Reacted Kevin Plumb, general counsel of the Premier League.
He also says the Premier League has requested that all monies recovered go to public bodies, including law enforcement, to help them continue their efforts against piracy.
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Source : TorrentFreak
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