A man has been sent to prison for three years and four months after being convicted of running an illegal “Firestick” streaming service.

Jonathan Edge, 29, from , was hit with the mega sentence after pleading guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act. The prosecution was led by the , and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) as part of a major crackdown on illegal streaming.

Edge advertised on and through word of mouth as he ran the illicit business from his own home as he loaded data onto the Firestick data devices in return for cash.

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The Premier League have been cracking down on individuals as well as shops, bars and restaurants to try and clamp down on people showing games illegally.

The sentence was designed to send out a clear message and deterrent as illegal streaming costs millions each year.

Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police said: "Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today’s sentence handed to Edge.

“Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken.”

The Premier League has sophisticated anti-piracy software to track down streams and bring down offenders.

Kevin Plumb, Premier League General Counsel, said: “The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions and we thank Merseyside Police for their support throughout the case.

“We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual.

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“The selling of broadcast rights supports the Premier League’s industry-leading financial contribution to the whole football pyramid and we’re pleased that the courts have once again recognised the importance of safeguarding these rights with the outcome of this case.

“No matter the scale, we will continue to protect these rights by carrying out investigations and prosecuting illegal operators at every level.”

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