United Kingdom/Piracy: a court order to block the illegal distribution of Sky content (press)

The UK's High Court of Justice has issued an order that will allow internet service providers (ISPs) to block the illegal broadcasting of pay-TV operator Sky's channels, according to the British business and financial daily Financial Times on 30/07/2023.

The order will allow a third-party group to identify the source of illegal streams, via IP addresses or dedicated servers, which are then provided to ISPs to block access to these services on their networks, according to the British newspaper.

The decision comes as five people behind three streaming services, which illegally broadcast Premier League matches, were jailed for a total of 30 years and seven months, as announced by the English League on 30/05/2023. These illegal organisations included "more than 50,000 customers and resellers, and 30 employees."

Sky notably holds the UK broadcasting rights to the Premier League (128 matches per season over the 2022-2025 cycle), EFL competitions (Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One, Sky Bet League Two, Carabao Cup and Papa Johns Trophy, 2019-2029) and Formula 1 (since 2012 and until…