Win for broadcasters as London cops shut down Sports Torrent Network
Site had 20,000 users on both sides of Atlantic
A popular sports streaming site has decided to shut down operations after threats from London police.
The Sports Torrent Network, believed to have over 20,000 users on both sides of the Atlantic, closed its doors after jail threats gave the proprietors no choice.
The site, which had its own capping team, had become one of the more popular options for those seeking to circumnavigate the need for Sky and BT Sport subscriptions in order to watch top sport.
"We are sad the site had to go but feel it was the only option," a staff member reportedly told the Torrent Freak website.
Hunted down by the fuzz
According to the report, the threats came from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which has been given government funding to go after unauthorised downloads and streaming sites.
The unit is said to have resumed its direct approaches to sites, after overtures to registrars and advertisers proved less successful. The Sports Torrent Network's closure is the result of those efforts.
The closure of the STN network follows the blocking of the FirstRowSports site in the UK, another site that offered access to top sporting action via dodgy streams.
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Is the battle being against illegal streaming of content being won, or will another site simply emerge to fill the gap? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.