File Photo: Streameast, world’s largest illegal sports streaming network. AP
Among the platforms involved were StreamEast and CrackStreams, which authorities said have been internationally recognized as among the largest live sports piracy networks worldwide, generating millions of dollars in illegal advertising revenue and recording more than 1.6 billion visits annually.
The Economic Affairs and Money Laundering Prosecution Office at the Public Prosecutor’s Office opened the investigation after receiving intelligence from the General Administration for the Investigation of Artistic Works and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, according to a statement.
The probe was supported by technical information from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a coalition of major global media and sports companies led by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), as part of international cooperation to track the network’s operations.
Authorities said the investigation enabled them to trace the network’s technical infrastructure and monitor its activities globally using open-source intelligence (OSINT) methods.
Technical examinations conducted by the National Computer Emergency Readiness Team (EG-CERT) confirmed that the defendants managed the piracy network through hundreds of internet domains and an integrated infrastructure used to broadcast encrypted sports content without authorization, generating substantial revenues from international advertising.
Investigators also found that the defendants allegedly engaged in money laundering to conceal the proceeds of the operation by purchasing real estate, establishing a front company abroad, and using cryptocurrencies and cross-border financial platforms.
The Public Prosecution said it will continue to take decisive action against cybercrime, pursue digital piracy networks, and track illicit proceeds through international judicial cooperation to protect intellectual property rights and safeguard the national economy.
Egyptian authorities, in cooperation with the US-based Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), dismantled the StreamEast network in September after a major international investigation into large-scale digital piracy.
Egypt’s Ministry of Interior said the suspects, two individuals residing in Giza, had established and managed 705 unlicensed websites and servers used to illegally broadcast pirated content from global sports leagues and media companies. Authorities seized laptops, mobile phones, and e-wallets linked to the operation, which contained proceeds from the illegal activity.
Investigators also confiscated cash, credit cards, and cryptocurrency holdings, while uncovering links to a shell company in the United Arab Emirates allegedly used to launder advertising revenues estimated at £4.9 million ($6.2 million) since 2010.
According to ACE, StreamEast, which operated around 80 associated domains, had become the largest illegal live sports streaming network in the world, offering unauthorized access to matches across Europe’s top football leagues and US sports competitions, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
ACE chairman Charles Rivkin, who also heads the Motion Picture Association, described the operation as a “resounding victory” against digital piracy. Similarly, streaming platform DAZN said the crackdown protected the global sports ecosystem from a network that had been siphoning revenue from leagues, broadcasters, and rights holders worldwide.
Following the crackdown, all StreamEast domains were redirected to ACE’s “Watch Legally” page, promoting authorized viewing platforms.
Short link: