A recent investigation by Enders Analysis titled “Video Piracy: Technology Giants Clearly Unwilling to Solve the Problem” has made waves in the tech and entertainment industries. The report claims that Amazon Fire TV devices are central to a multibillion-dollar global piracy ecosystem, especially involving live streaming content like sports events.
Based on surveys within the European market, the report highlights the explosive growth of illegal streaming, with platforms like Facebook and devices like Amazon’s Fire TV being leveraged for unauthorized broadcasts. Illegal streams often draw tens of thousands of viewers during high-profile events, which directly impacts revenue for broadcasters.
Amazon Fire TV was labeled a “piracy enabler” in the report, with officials from Sky Group and DAZN expressing concern over the damage caused by unlicensed streaming. Tom Burrows, DAZN’s head of copyright, warned that piracy has become a near “crisis” for the sports rights industry, while Nick Herm, COO of Sky, estimated annual losses in the hundreds of millions.
Claire Enders, co-founder of Enders Analysis, stated that piracy accounts for 50% of the sports streaming market in some regions. The accessibility and branding of Fire TV devices, combined with third-party app installations, make them prime tools for piracy. Alarmingly, users often provide credit card information to pirate services, exposing them to phishing and malware risks.
Legal crackdowns in the UK have intensified. In 2024 alone, courts sentenced individuals to prison or probation for modifying Fire TV devices for illegal use. However, Enders argues that tech companies, particularly Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, aren’t doing enough to stop piracy.
Amazon responded to these allegations, stating to Ars Technica that it enforces anti-piracy policies, removes infringing apps from its store, and supports law enforcement operations like those led by the London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit. Still, the report suggests a conflict of interest—Amazon’s business model favors hardware sales, subscriptions, and advertising, potentially reducing incentive to curtail piracy aggressively.
The report also criticized Google’s Widevine and Microsoft’s PlayReady DRM technologies. With vulnerabilities across all tiers, these digital rights management systems are said to be outdated and ineffective against modern piracy methods. Notably, PlayReady’s last major update (version 4.6) was rolled out in December 2022, highlighting a lag in innovation and protection.
Meanwhile, Italy’s AGCOM has accused Google of failing to block well-known pirate sites. In one case, a Milan court demanded that Google take action to prevent illegal football streams by disrupting public DNS servers.
As consumers increasingly turn to the internet for movies, shows, and live sports, the battle against piracy intensifies. Fragmented sports licensing requires fans to juggle multiple paid services—an inconvenience that continues to drive viewers toward illegal alternatives. While governments and regulators ramp up enforcement, the piracy community also evolves, constantly adapting to new restrictions.
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