A group of five people have received jail sentences over a sophisticated illegal Premier League streaming operation, in which they had around 50,000 subscribers. 

It is thought that the group gained in excess of £7m over a five-year period, streaming the Premier League, with Mark Gould from London having led the operation and subsequently receiving 11 years in prison. 

Off the back of the seven week court case, it was detailed that the group employed 30 people and managed to have an undercover member at an anti piracy firm looking to combat their operation. 

Alongside Gould, was Steven Gordon, Peter Jolley, William Brown and Christopher Felvus, who all also received sentences in the wake of the case, a punishment the Premier League will feel highlights the significance of illegal streaming. 

It is also reported that there is a sixth member of the group who failed to show up for court and is currently wanted for arrest. 

The group looked to infiltrate legal streams and portray as if the illegal stream was coming from a different source, in the result of it being picked up. The fraudsters were also charged with money laundering off the back of the case. 

It marks a continued clampdown from the league when it comes to illegal streaming, as the value of broadcasting rights for the league continues to elevate.

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