Is this the end of illegal Premier League football streams? Sky makes BIG Kodi Box claim
SKY has claimed it is winning the battle against online pirates who let Brit footie fans watch Premier League matches for free.
BT Sport and Sky are losing out thanks to a rise in illegal streaming which lets people watch their content without paying for it.
But one employee suggested that it is about to become almost impossible to search and watch live footie streams this season thanks to a major crackdown.
Matthew Hibbert, head of litigation at Sky UK, said the company had been successfully shutting down the streams at the source, thanks to a recent court ruling granting it greater powers to go after servers.
He said: "In terms of the impact on piracy, server blocking has been huge."
Hibbert, who was making an appearance at the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia in Macau, added that "live streams of the Premier League can no longer be easily found in the UK".
What is a 'Kodi box'?
Kodi is a piece of software that pulls lots of different entertainment channels together, like Netflix and iPlayer.
This allows you to watch online services on your TV.
It can be installed on TV boxes which you connect to your telly using an HDMI cable.
The box and the software are not illegal. But it has a library which allows you to browse pirated TV, films and sports, which have been illegally obtained.
Anyone selling a box with the intention for it to be used in this way will be seen as infringing copyright.
The High Court this year issued a "blocking order" which will force internet service providers to cut the streams throughout the 2017/2018 season.
Pirates have spent years arguing that the costs of subscriptions are too high, driving fans underground.
But Sky has said that its prices are "hugely important to the Premier League and the future health of English football".
The disruption will affect both so-called Kodi boxes and websites showing matches.
'PLUG AND PLAY' PIRACY What are Kodi boxes, are they illegal and have Premier League streams been shut down?
Sky has remained tight-lipped about how it investigates those who abuse their copyright material but hinted it is investing heavily in the crackdown, particularly in terms of court costs and legal fees.
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