Suspended sentence for UK pirate streamer
A man from Merseyside has been handed a 32-month sentence suspended for three years for running Ozzy Streams, an illegal IPTV service offering unauthorised access to content belonging to Sky, TNT Sports, and the Premier League.
Craig Austin pleaded guilty in July to three counts of making or supplying an article for use in fraud and one count of acquiring, using, or possessing criminal property relating to assets and profits from the illegal operation. Along with the suspended sentence, Austin
is required to participate in rehabilitation activities and to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community service.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft( FACT) began investigating Ozzy Streams in January 2023 and identified Austin as the person behind the operation. The service was promoted via a social media account with over 1,500 followers. The investigation found that he made £ 205,000(€ 240,000) from the illegal streaming operation between January 2020 and August 2025.
FACT passed its findings to Merseyside Police in April 2025. Officers executed a warrant four months later, and Austin was subsequently prosecuted.
“ Illegal streaming services undermine rights holders and broadcasters, as well as the many people who pay to access content legitimately.”
Nick Sumner, Investigations Manager at FACT, said:“ Illegal streaming services undermine rights holders and broadcasters, as well as the many people who pay to access content legitimately.”
“ This case shows how intelligence-led
investigations and close cooperation with law enforcement can identify the people behind illegal services and bring them before the courts. We welcome the action taken by Merseyside Police.”
Constable Andrea Thompson of Merseyside Police’ s Cybercrime Unit said:“ Craig Austin advertised Ozzy Streams through a social media account with more than 1,500 followers. Acting on intelligence from FACT, our officers executed a warrant and built the case that led to his prosecution. Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft, and we will continue to target these services and the people who run them.”
StudioCanal launches Classics label
StudioCanal has announced the global launch of the StudioCanal Classics catalogue label. With the launch, StudioCanal says it is further bolstering its editorial strategy across the StudioCanal catalogue, which
boasts more than 18,000 titles and spans 100 years of film history. Over the past seven years, StudioCanal has invested close to € 25 million into the 4K restoration of nearly 1,000 classic feature films. StudioCanal says that its restoration strategy gives both longtime cinephiles and the Letterboxd generation the opportunity to experience classics as they were meant to be seen; on the big screen. StudioCanal supports independent, repertory and mainstream cinemas worldwide from a catalogue of iconic IPs. StudioCanal’ s territory footprint spans across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand, also distributing via partners in Scandinavia and South Africa.
StudioCanal is responsible for the worldwide sales and licensing for its catalogue and continues to actively seek out strategic acquisitions for its library.
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Sky gets approval for major Livingston Campus investment
Planning permission has
been granted for Sky’ s
new Livingston Campus,
unlocking a major
investment in Scotland and
reinforcing Sky’ s long-term
commitment to the country.
The company says this
approval marks a significant
milestone in the delivery
of a major new workplace
development in West
Lothian.
The approval will enable
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the delivery of a new campus with sustainability in mind, that will bring together Sky’ s existing operations into a modern workplace for around 3,000 employees. The project will replace four existing buildings at Kirkton Campus and leased space on the Alba Campus, creating a new site spanning 15 acres and more than 21,000 m ², with enhanced green areas and modern, flexible workspaces.
The investment represents a significant vote of confidence in West Lothian
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and Scotland’ s economy, supporting hundreds of jobs and creating opportunities for local suppliers, SMEs and businesses to play a role in both the delivery and ongoing operation of the campus.
For more than three decades, Sky has been part of the Livingston community, with the site playing a critical role in the company’ s UK operations and serving as one of Sky’ s most important employment centres in the UK. The expanded campus will
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provide a future-ready home for Sky’ s workforce while supporting the company’ s long-term growth ambitions in Scotland.
Sophia Ahmad, CEO of UK Consumer, Sky, said:“ Securing planning approval for our Livingston Campus is a significant milestone and a vote of confidence in Scotland. The new campus will create a fantastic workplace for our teams while delivering lasting economic benefits for the local community and wider region.”
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EUROMEDIA 5 |