In the UK members of an illegal streaming network were sentenced to 30 years in prison

Five people involved in an illegal streaming network in Britain have been given total sentences 30 years and seven months imprisonmentreports Premier LeagueOrganizer of the English Football Championship.

The illegal streaming businesses had more than 50,000 customers and resellers and 30 employees, one of whom was an undercover anti-piracy agency. They provided illegal access to Premier League matches, hundreds of channels from around the world and tens of thousands of movies and TV shows on demand.

In handing down the sentences, the judge described a sophisticated crime involving significant planning and expertise, including the hacking of legitimate clients in the UK and abroad.

Premier League general counsel Kevin Plumb said: Today’s punishment is the result of a long and complex effort of very sophisticated action. The sentences imposed, the longest ever handed down for piracy-related offences, confirm the efforts made to bring these individuals to justice and reflect the gravity and scope of the crimes committed.