Premier League bosses have successfully forced a criminal to pay £1m after being involved in an illegal streaming operation.
Steven King, of Coventry, was jailed for seven years and four months in March 2019 after being convicted of running Dreambox which showed English top flight games to more than 1,000 pubs, homes and clubs in the UK.
Warwick Crown Court has now ruled that he must forfeit the proceeds of his criminal activities and pay back £963,000 to the public purse within three months, or face having his prison sentence extended by an additional six years and eight months.
Premier League General Counsel Kevin Plumb said: "This result clearly shows that supplying illegal streams is a criminal offence leading to prison sentences and significant financial consequences.
"We are pleased the courts have recognised the seriousness of piracy-related crimes and the Premier League has requested all money recovered goes back to public bodies, including law enforcement agencies, to help them continue the fantastic work they do in helping bring people like this to justice.
"The vast majority of our fans watch Premier League action via authorised sources but for those who don’t, they must be aware this is not only an illegal activity that can lead to custodial sentences but they also risk becoming victims of hacking and fraud.
"We will continue to work with law enforcement to tackle piracy of our content and to educate fans on the dangers of watching Premier League matches via unauthorised streams."
It is part of a major crackdown by the Premier League who are determined to break the cycle of illegal streams which cost the game millions in each TV contract. It was a joint case brought by investigators FACT and their CEO Kieron Sharp said: "This is a warning to anyone selling subscriptions or devices that allow access to content without remunerating the legitimate provider – you risk time in jail and the loss of your properties, cars and other proceeds of crime.
"FACT will continue to work with the Premier League and other rights holders to crack down on illegal streaming and to hold those behind it accountable for their actions."
