A North Yorkshire man has been given a prison sentence of three years and one month for operating an illicit TV streaming network that offered thousands of television channels, including major sports coverage, without proper authorisation. Stephen Woodward, aged 36 and from Thirsk, was found guilty after he admitted to a series of copyright infringement and money laundering offences at York Crown Court.
Woodward’s operation involved providing illegal access to more than 4,500 TV channels through a variety of websites, notably IPTV Hosting, Helix Hosting, and Black and White TV. Users and resellers paid subscription fees, gaining unauthorised access to popular channels such as Sky Sports and BT Sport. Commercial transactions were processed via traditional card payments as well as a range of digital methods, including thirteen PayPal accounts under Woodward’s control and peer-to-peer payment platforms like Circle.
Police investigations revealed a complex attempt to hide the financial gains from this criminal enterprise. Woodward converted the illegal profits into cryptocurrency, then back into cash, before spreading the money across as many as 23 separate bank accounts. His brother, Christopher Woodward, 34, also of Thirsk, was implicated in the scheme, having received £126,000 in proceeds traced to the illegal streaming services.
The sentencing, which took place on 11 July 2025, followed a protracted inquiry led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. Stephen Woodward’s conviction covered one count of distributing articles that breach copyright, alongside four separate counts of money laundering. Christopher, whose involvement was limited to the handling of criminal funds, received a 15-month prison sentence suspended for one year, and was ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid community work.
Authorities took firm action against the proceeds of their activities, securing an all-assets restraint order against £1.1 million belonging to Stephen Woodward. Additionally, police seized and froze £144,121 in cash and confiscated several pieces of jewellery from his home, all of which are set to be subject to forthcoming confiscation proceedings.
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, who led the investigation, underscored the wider impact of illegal streaming on the creative and entertainment industries in Britain. “Illegal streaming undermines legitimate businesses and diverts vital funds away from the creative industries into criminal hands,” Fryatt commented. He went on to highlight the economic consequences, stating, “This sort of criminality is believed to contribute to over 80,000 job losses in the sector every year.”
Details emerged that even after coming under police scrutiny, Stephen Woodward continued his illegal ventures. Following his initial arrest in November 2019, authorities raided his property, discovering a cache of digital devices, including nine mobile phones, alongside significant sums of cash and a collection of SIM cards likely used to create false identities for opening accounts.
Despite his arrest, Woodward allegedly boasted to his brother about earning as much as £100,000 a month through his streaming activities. In 2020, as the police inquiry into IPTV Hosting continued, Woodward was discovered to be managing two further illegal streaming sites—Black and White TV and Helix Hosting—offering viewers pirated access to Premier League football and a further 6,500 channels from around the globe.
In July 2020, Woodward was detained a second time at his home, where officers again discovered large sums of cash concealed in his living room. The investigation encompassed assistance from other bodies, including the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), and continued over the following years. In October 2022, Woodward was apprehended at Gatwick Airport, attempting to board a flight to Vancouver while carrying almost £11,000 in cash.
Following these repeated offences, the authorities stressed that the successful conviction and confiscation efforts should serve as a warning to others involved in the illicit streaming trade. The websites operated by Stephen Woodward have now been shut down, and further legal proceedings to recover criminal earnings are ongoing. The case highlights both the scale and sophistication of illegal streaming operations in the UK, as well as the determination of law enforcement to hold perpetrators to account and protect the integrity of creative industries.