Irish establishments face anti-piracy crackdown in operation by FACT

Enforcement action taken by FACT and collaborators against Irish businesses offering illegal TV streaming access: Notices served to 15 stores and retailers in nine counties by FACT and Sky, including Kerry, Louth, Laois, Mayo, Donegal, Kilkenny, Wexford, Meath, and Cavan, as part of an...

, and ASMedia

2025 September 20 . 9:49 AM

2 min read

Anti-Piracy Crackdown Hits Irish Retail Shops

Irish establishments face anti-piracy crackdown in operation by FACT

In a significant move to protect premium TV content, FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and Sky Ireland have launched a third wave of action targeting those selling illegal access to TV streaming services. This operation, focusing on modified or 'fully loaded' smart TV devices such as Amazon Fire Sticks, has seen teams delivering legal notices to 15 shops and resellers across nine counties.

The crackdown, which marks the first direct focus on retail outlets by enforcement teams, has resulted in the identification of businesses selling subscriptions to illegal streaming services, supplying devices set up for such access, or connecting customers through phone numbers or advertising materials.

Notably, Gary McNally, a 55-year-old man from County Wexford, has been ordered to pay 480,000 euros in damages to Sky and banned permanently from involvement in IPTV services, although his name remains unspecified in the provided information.

In another case, Steven Mills, a 58-year-old man from Shrewsbury, was jailed for two and a half years for selling streaming sticks with unlicensed Premier League coverage. Mills ran the organisation that sold the illegal streaming devices.

Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, stated that they aim to target every link in the illegal streaming supply chain. JD Buckley, CEO of Sky Ireland, commented that illegal streaming puts consumers at risk of online harms and drains money from the creative industries.

Since March 2023, nearly 70 illegal services in Ireland have closed following actions by FACT and associates, and tens of thousands of unauthorised streams have been disrupted. This operation is a testament to the partnership between FACT and Sky, working together to protect their customers and uphold content production standards.

In a separate case, a man from Birmingham who ran an illegal streaming service named Each Online was jailed for two years and nine months. Each business has been given a deadline to cease these activities or potentially face further measures. The majority of the businesses have responded to the notices and agreed to stop these activities.

Sky aims to protect its customers and uphold content production standards, and collaborates with FACT to stop unauthorised activity. This joint effort is a significant step towards ensuring that consumers can enjoy premium TV content safely and legally.