A massive global raid in Egypt’s Giza Governorate crushed Streameast, the world’s largest illegal sports streaming network, which pulled in 1.6 billion views over the past year. Egyptian authorities, working with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), arrested two men and seized laptops, smartphones, cash, and properties tied to money laundering on August 24, 2025. The Athletic reported the shutdown on September 3, 2025.
Details of the Bust
The raid hit Streameast’s operations in El-Sheikh Zaid, about 20 miles west of Cairo. Two suspects were detained for copyright infringement, with authorities grabbing three laptops, four smartphones, $123,000 on 10 Visa cards, $200,000 in cryptocurrency, and real estate linked to a UAE-based shell company laundering $6.2 million in ad revenue since 2010. Streameast averaged 136 million monthly visits across 80 domains.
ACE, backed by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), led the effort to kill Streameast’s main domain, now redirected to ACE’s “Watch Legally” page. Charles Rivkin, MPA chairman, called it a “huge win for sports leagues and fans,”. Ed McCarthy, DAZN Group COO, said, “Dismantling Streameast is a major victory for everyone who invests in and relies on the live sports ecosystem.”
Copycat sites have surfaced, but ACE is investigating their ties to the original operation.
BREAKING: Streameast — the world’s largest illegal sports streaming platform — has been shut down after a year-long investigation, per The Athletic.
The network of 80 unauthorized domains generated 1.6 billion combined visits over the past year, providing free access to global… pic.twitter.com/MuzLXmZxjp
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 3, 2025
UFC’s Stake in the Fight
Streameast’s fall helps UFC recover lost earnings. Illegal streams of events like UFC 257 in 2021 drained millions. The UFC’s 2025 Paramount Plus deal, covering events like UFC 319, offers fans legal access, cutting reliance on unsafe pirate sites.
Piracy puts fans at risk of malware and data theft. Larissa Knapp, MPA’s content protection chief, said, “This action shows no piracy network is beyond global enforcement.” The raid builds on UFC’s past wins, like the 2014 Cagewatcher.eu shutdown, strengthening the fight against illegal streams.
The UFC has tackled piracy for years. In 2012, Zuffa, UFC’s former parent, targeted GreenFeedz.com users, threatening lawsuits with seized email and IP data. In 2014, Cagewatcher.eu was shut down, with Lonstein Law Office pursuing users, handling hundreds of claims since 2007.
In 2021, Dana White warned UFC 257 streamers, claiming federal agents were tracking a suspect’s phone and home. In 2023, the UFC, NFL, and NBA pushed for stricter DMCA laws to enable faster stream takedowns. Piracy costs sports leagues billions yearly, making the Streameast bust a critical step.
Other sports have suffered from piracy. The BKFC lost viewers to over a million illegal streams of its 2023 Perry vs. Alvarez fight. In 2024, a streaming site, SNN, taunted White on Twitter, daring prosecution, though fans urged caution. The 2012 SOPA bill, aimed at stopping piracy, faced backlash over internet freedom.
In August 2024, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations seized Streameast domains, but operators claimed over 400 backup sites kept them running. The August 24, 2025, raid appears to have landed a more decisive blow.
