In a significant move against illegal streaming, UK authorities have targeted a major piracy operation linked to unauthorized distribution of Sky TV content. The enforcement action, led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), saw raids across multiple locations in England on July 3rd, including a commercial data centre in Cheltenham and two private residences near Birmingham and Oldbury.

The operation resulted in the seizure of seven IPTV servers, believed to be central to the illegal distribution of subscription-based TV content. Authorities arrested two individuals—a 30-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman—on suspicion of copyright offenses and handling criminal property. While they have since been released under investigation, officers confiscated computing equipment and additional materials believed to be connected to the operation.

The servers, which were housed in a professional data centre, were allegedly running services that provided paid subscribers with access to premium content from Sky TV, bypassing legal payment channels. This kind of unauthorized distribution, commonly known as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) piracy, has become a persistent challenge for broadcasters, with operations becoming more sophisticated and harder to trace.

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt of PIPCU emphasized the seriousness of the crime, stating:

“This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative and entertainment industries… At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, fraud, and malware.”

The PIPCU has long prioritized piracy cases involving the illegal distribution of copyrighted TV, film, and sports content. Their operations often focus on both the sellers of these illicit services and the underlying infrastructure—servers, domain names, and payment systems—that enable the piracy networks to operate at scale.

The broadcasting industry has increasingly leaned on partnerships with law enforcement to clamp down on such operations. Sky, one of the UK’s largest media companies and a major target of IPTV pirates, applauded the raid.

Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, said:

“We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation. We will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it. This action helps to keep consumers safe from the serious risks that piracy can pose to devices and personal property.”

While police did not name the data center involved, the Cheltenham area is home to several large facilities, including those operated by Safehost and Blynx, raising speculation about the physical location of the seized servers. Hosting providers often remain unaware that their infrastructure is being used for piracy, making it difficult to identify illegal activity without specialized technical and legal investigation.

PIPCU noted that the seizure “caused major disruption” to multiple IPTV services. Disabling the servers likely impacted thousands of paying subscribers, many of whom may not realize their money was funding illegal operations. Authorities are also investigating whether the individuals arrested had broader links to other piracy networks.

This raid follows a pattern of increasing international cooperation in tackling IPTV piracy. Similar high-profile actions have occurred in the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy in recent years, reflecting a broader strategy among governments and broadcasters to dismantle not just the sellers, but the technical backbone of these illicit services.

As piracy continues to evolve, law enforcement and industry stakeholders alike are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to stem the tide. These types of coordinated raids send a clear message: illegal streaming is not a victimless crime, and both the operators and their infrastructure are squarely in the crosshairs.