Streameast, the leading illicit sports streaming service globally with over 1.6 billion visits across 80 domain names in the previous year, has been shut down just as the NFL season kicks off. The anti-piracy organization Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) confirmed the closure, representing a notable triumph in their battle against digital piracy. ACE Chairman Charles Rivki remarked that this measure serves the interests of sports leagues, entertainment firms, and fans around the world, and the alliance is set to keep focusing on significant piracy networks internationally.

ACE joined forces with Egyptian authorities to break up the piracy operation, resulting in the apprehension of two individuals associated with over $6 million in illegal earnings from unauthorized streaming. Streameast provided free access to live sports occasions, comprising professional soccer games from top European leagues and U.S. sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS. It also broadcasted pay-per-view events such as boxing and MMA.

Though Streameast’s primary domains are now inactive, mirror sites and imitators have surfaced, perpetuating the piracy network on alternative domains. Mashable readers can look into legitimate ways to watch sports online, like ESPN and Fox One. In the meantime, sports enthusiasts dependent on Streameast for streaming their preferred teams’ games this autumn are feeling let down.