Sky issues warning over 'dodgy' Fire TV Sticks as it vows to crackdown

The rise of illegal streaming is becoming increasingly prevalent across the UK, with many households ditching traditional TV services for unauthorised platforms offering content at cut-price deals or even for free.

The ease of obtaining modified Fire TV Sticks, which often come ready-loaded with premium sports and movie channels, has made it simpler than ever for consumers to access such content.

As the cost of living crisis tightens its grip on family finances, it's no surprise that expensive subscriptions are being swapped out for free alternatives.

However, this trend may be short-lived as the increase in illegal streaming has caught the attention of content providers, who are now demanding action, particularly from Amazon, to curb the spread of these hacked Fire TV Sticks.

At the recent Financial Times Business of Football summit, Sky's Chief Operating Officer, Nick Herm, highlighted the severity of the situation.

Herm said: "If you speak to friends and colleagues, [or] you watch football, people will know that you can get jail-broken Fire Sticks, and you can access pirated services on Fire Sticks."

Herm also pointed out the cultural impact of the issue, he said: "There are football fans who literally have shirts printed out that say Fire Sticks on them. With some of the tech giants, Amazon in particular, we do not get enough engagement to address some of those problems, where people are buying these devices in bulk."

The notion of a shopper snapping up hundreds of Fire TV Sticks in one go seems pretty far-fetched, and it looks like Sky is pretty sure these bulk purchases are up to no good—loaded with streaming apps to flog online.

For those not in the know, Fire TV Sticks have an open system that lets dodgy characters side-load unapproved apps that aren't on the usual app stores, which can then be used to watch pirated streams.

Amazon has had its say on the matter to the Financial Times, making it clear that it's all about "providing customers with a high-quality streaming experience while actively promoting a streaming landscape that respects intellectual property rights."

What's more, the online shopping giant has made a point of warning users time and again about the dangers of dabbling with dodgy content providers.

Amazon said "On Fire TV, we've always encouraged our customers to use legal channels for accessing content and have included on-device warnings informing customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources."

Sky's bold move to call out Fire TV Sticks is something new altogether. There have already been arrests this year connected to pre-loaded Fire devices, putting the spotlight on sellers even more.

If Amazon takes Sky's advice seriously, we could see a bigger push to put a stop to illegal streaming once and for all.

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