Illegal streaming devices, often called “dodgy Fire Sticks”, have become a major talking point in the UK over the last few years. Sports fans looking for cheaper ways to watch live sporting action have helped create a booming underground market for modified streaming devices and subscription services.
To those of you less familiar with such devices, this page outlines everything you need to know about them, including legality, security risks and what they actually are.
What Is a Dodgy Fire Stick?
A “dodgy Fire Stick” is a modified Amazon Fire TV Stick or similar streaming device that has been altered to access pirated content. Such devices are also commonly described as “jailbroken” or “modded” Firesticks. Sellers often load unofficial apps onto the device, allowing users to stream subscription channels, live sports, and pay-per-view events without paying the official broadcaster.
Some vendors also provide access to IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services. These services can include thousands of channels from the UK and overseas, along with film and TV libraries. The setup process is often marketed as simple. Customers may be told to plug the stick into a television, connect to Wi-Fi and follow instructions shared through apps such as Telegram or WhatsApp.
Why People Use Them
The main reason people turn to illegal streaming devices is cost. Watching live sport legally in the UK can be expensive, particularly for football fans. Having access to TNT Sports and Sky Sports alone, which covers most (but not all) televised sporting action in the UK, will set you back in the region of £50 or more a month.
The other reason is simply availability. While there has been a rise in televised Premier League matches in recent years, there are still plenty missing. The 2025/26 season saw 270 out of 380 games shown on TV (71%). On average, this means you would be able to see your favourite team on TV 27 occasions, but forced to miss the other 11 (unless you were able to get tickets).
The UK is the last country in Europe to impose the so-called ‘3pm blackout’, and it is responsible for a large chunk of illegal streaming. Some of the fans would happily pay to watch the action at this time, but have no legal means to do so, and subsequently turn to streaming sites or dodgy Firesticks.
Finally, others are simply attracted by the convenience. IPTV services often bundle large numbers of channels into one interface, giving users access to sport, films, entertainment and international channels through a single subscription. That said, it is not at all unusual for many channels to suffer outages or buffering problems, so it is not always the most convenient option.
How Much Do They Cost?
Research from BeStreamWise, a campaign focused on raising awareness about illegal streaming, found that users believed they saved around £13.38 per month (£160 a year) by using these services instead of legitimate subscriptions. However, we would suggest that the real saving is probably higher than that for most customers, closer to £300 per year.
Some users pay a monthly subscription to run their dodgy Firesticks (often around £10), while others pay on an annual basis (£40-£100). Dodgy firestick sellers rely on word of mouth for much of their trade, as well as encrypted messaging apps like Telegram.
Are Dodgy Fire Sticks Illegal?
Owning a standard Amazon Fire TV Stick, is, of course, completely legal. There is not even anything necessarily illegal about modifying it; the legal issues only begin when devices are modified to access copyrighted content without permission.
Using or distributing modified streaming devices that provide illegal access to paid content can breach copyright and fraud laws in the UK. Authorities have repeatedly warned that selling these devices or operating illegal IPTV services can result in criminal prosecution.
Crackdowns and Prosecutions
Authorities across the UK have stepped up enforcement activity against illegal streaming networks. Police forces and anti-piracy investigators carry out raids, seize equipment and shut down IPTV services linked to modified Firesticks.
In 2024, Jonathan Edge from Liverpool was sentenced to 40 months in prison for selling Firestick devices that allowed customers to illegally stream Premier League football. In another case, Sunny Kanda from Halifax received a two-year prison sentence in 2025 after being convicted of supplying and distributing illegal Firesticks and concealing criminal funds.
Despite it being a non-violent crime, penalties for sellers are severe because large-scale IPTV operations can generate substantial profits. Indeed, in May 2026, Mark Gould and members of his group were ordered to repay almost £4m of profits or face additional time in prison. They ran a giant venture called Flawless which had around 30 staff. Gould was sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2023, with other collaborators sentenced to 30 years in total.
In theory, individual users can also face consequences. Under the Fraud Act 2006, users can face very hefty fines and even up to five years in prison, although there are no known cases of the latter occurring. In reality, the police are very rarely interested in individual users and instead focus attention on dodgy firestick sellers. However, users may get in trouble for using an illegal device to stream live TV without a valid TV licence. Doing this can result in a fine of up to £1,000.
The Crackdown: Current Attempts to Curb Dodgy Firesticks
Broadcasters and technology companies regularly invest heavily in anti-piracy measures. Additionally, internet service providers may also be ordered to restrict access to certain websites associated with piracy.
Amazon itself, the creators of the Firestick, have also made changes to newer Fire TV devices. Recent iterations and all future Fire TV Sticks will have Amazon’s own Vega operating system. Previous models used an Android-based OS and this change will make it harder for unofficial apps to gain the permissions needed to operate effectively.
Indeed, the reason Firesticks became the default option for IPTV streaming was because of their Android-based OS. On top of this, Amazon has been actively targeting modified devices. Some UK customers have had their sticks blocked, with a message appearing on screen saying the app “has been disabled because it has been identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content.”
Attempts to crack down on dodgy Firesticks mean that users can end up with reduced channels, or a complete block, at any time. When this happens, there is no recourse. In one case, when a customer told his supplier they had been cut off, the supplier responded “We are not Marks & Spencer. We don’t do refunds or returns.”
Cybersecurity Risks
As well as the risk of paying for a service that can suddenly stop working, or may work poorly, there are cybersecurity risks involved with dodgy Firesticks.
Experts have repeatedly warned that users may expose themselves to fraud, malware and data theft. Unlike official apps, unofficial streaming apps do not go through the same security checks. This can increase the risk of malicious software being installed onto connected devices.
Ethical hacker Rob Shapland said that users of modified streaming devices could potentially expose their credit card information, passwords and personal data. He warned that downloading unofficial streaming apps can effectively give cybercriminals direct access to devices connected to a home network.
Research highlighted by BeStreamWise suggested that two in five users of illegal streaming services reported experiencing some form of financial fraud within the previous 12 months. The average reported loss was said to be around £1,680, with one in 10 users reported to have lost more than £5,000.