Dodgy streaming mastermind who gave thousands access to Sky Sports and Movies is jailed

• Gary McNally ran an illegal streaming operation for more than two years.
• His service gave access to illegal streams - including Sky Sports and Movies.
• McNally has been jailed after pleading guilty at court.

A man who ran a “sophisticated” illegal streaming operation has been jailed - the latest conviction in a police crackdown on illegal streams.

Gary McNally, 55, from Acocks Green, Birmingham, ran a dodgy Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service called Each Online from November 2017 to June 2020. After pleading guilty at Birmingham Crown Court he has been locked up for more than two years.

His service provided access to illegal streams, which included Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Movie channels, as well as premium television content owned by other national and international broadcasters.

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Sky discovered the illegal streams through Now TV

McNally first came to the attention of Sky in June 2020, after an investigation revealed that he was using legitimate NOW TV accounts to gain illegal access to Sky content. It was referred to West Midlands Police who, in September 2021, executed warrants at two residential properties in the Birmingham area which led to the 55-year-old being located and arrested for fraud and intellectual property offences.

A search of McNally’s property resulted in the seizure of a large amount of digital equipment including laptops, hard drives and NOW TV devices believed to have been used by McNally to operate pirate IPTV services. During a single world championship boxing match broadcast by Sky in February 2018, McNally claimed to have over 2,000 subscribers to his illegal service.

Sky promises to ‘keep consumers safe’ from ‘piracy networks’

Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky said: “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant consequences that can arise for those that get involved in illegally streaming content.

“We are grateful to the West Midlands Police for acting so robustly to take down a highly sophisticated illegal streaming operation. We will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our content and help keep consumers safe from criminal piracy networks.”

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police added: “We will work with partners wherever possible to disrupt criminal activity, and we hope this case sends a warning message to anyone involved in this kind of criminal enterprise.”

McNally jailed for more than two years

On 15th March 2024, McNally appeared at Birmingham Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to two charges of making articles for use in frauds relating to the provision and creation of IPTV services contrary to Section 7(1)(b) of the Fraud Act 2006.

He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to two years and nine months for both counts to be served concurrently.

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