UK pubs fined for illegally broadcasting Sky Sports
The licensees of three UK-based pubs have been fined for illegally broadcasting Sky Sports on their premises.
On Wednesday, July 18, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which brought the prosecution against the licensees, announced that the pubs had been fined a record combined sum of £327,405 ($425,000).
The licensees and directors of Stafford-based the Prince of Wales, the Beaufort Arms, located in Birmingham, and Wolverhampton-based the Pheasant Inn were also convicted of a total of 64 offences in March this year. The offences included televising a Sky Sports football match without intending to pay for broadcasting the event.
Stephen Gerrard, prosecuting manager for FACT, said that the licensees involved in the case had consistently refused to engage with FACT and ignored numerous warnings and offers of advice.
“This clearly demonstrates their conscious decision to offend over a significant period of time,” he said. “We were left with no option but to prosecute these individuals and we will continue to prosecute publicans who are fraudulently showing Sky programmes in their premises.”
George Lawson, head of commercial piracy at Sky, added that the company takes the illegal use of its programming very seriously.
“Those licensees who choose to televise content illegally should be aware that they are at risk of being caught and face substantial penalties and a criminal conviction,” he said.
This is not the first case brought by FACT against pub licensees over the illegal streaming of Sky Sports content.
In January this year, WIPR reported that the licensee of a pub in Huddersfield had been fined £24,331 ($33,498) for airing Sky Sports without a valid licence.
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