Five men who illegally broadcasted Premier League football matches to a large audience have been sentenced to prison according to BBC.
They proudly claimed that they generated revenue by offering discounted monthly subscriptions of £10, granting viewers access to games that were typically unavailable for live viewing in the UK due to "blackout" broadcasting regulations.
This illicit operation proved to be their most extensive venture yet, amassing over £7 million in proceeds from approximately 50,000 customers.
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The fraud prosecution was brought to protect "some of the world's most valuable content", the league's lawyers said.
It followed a lengthy trading standards investigation led by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Following the crackdown on the illegal broadcasting operation, the personal information of numerous individuals who subscribed to Flawless TV has fallen into the hands of investigators. This development raises concerns about potential actions that may be taken against those involved.
During the proceedings at Derby Crown Court, Mark Gould, the leader of the gang, commonly referred to as the "prime mover," received a sentence of 11 years in prison for his involvement in the unlawful activity.
The remaining four members of the group were also handed sentences ranging from three years to over five years for their respective roles in the operation.
Christopher Felvus, one of the convicted individuals, faced additional charges of voyeurism and possessing indecent images of children, which were discovered on his computer during the investigation. The court found him guilty of these offenses, further adding to the severity of his sentencing.
Trading standards investigator Doug Love led a raid on Gould's smart riverside flat in Greenwich, south London.
"I don't think any of us realized how big it was," Mr Love tells BBC News.
"When we went into the spare bedroom, there were 20 or 30 set-top boxes linked together."
The gang took feeds from broadcasters in the UK, Qatar, the US, Australia and Canada and streamed them a few seconds later via the Flawless service.
Through the development of mobile apps that provided access to Premier League matches and various other content, the illegal operation successfully ran on smartphones and smart TVs.
The users of these apps were able to select their desired content from a comprehensive on-screen program guide, enjoying a fully-functional viewing experience.
According to the Premier League, the gang managed to accumulate £7.2 million in revenue between 2016 and 2021. Mark Gould, the key figure in the operation, personally profited over £1.7 million from these illicit activities.
In comparison to the legal services offered by Sky, BT Sport, and Amazon Prime, direct subscribers to the illegal operation paid a mere £10 per month for access to every Premier League game. This significantly contrasted with the approximately £80 per month charged by the authorized services.
