A number of sports fans here in the UK will have watched the Premier League through less than legal means at times, perhaps assuming that they'll not be landed in trouble for it.
Each weekend, a smattering of matches are available to watch, but you'd need to be subscribed to some quite expensive streaming platforms or pay hefty one-off fees to get them.
Many other Premier League games are just not available for Brits to watch in full, given that there are rules in place around the 3pm kick-off to ensure the nation's football fans go out to lower league grounds and aren't shut up at home whenever there's a game on.
As much as you might love Plymouth Argyle or Fleetwood Town, the temptation not to go down to the ground on a Saturday afternoon would be stronger if you could just stick on the telly and watch a Premier League match.
Advert
Illegal streaming is certainly a bee in the Premier League's bonnet as they've successfully prosecuted people for this sort of thing before, and if the league gets its way they'll be able to get more information on the people illegally streaming their games.
Two brothers were recently sentenced to a combined 11 years behind bars after a crackdown on internet protocol television (IPTV) streaming, which is often accessed through jailbroken Fire Sticks.
Sky have been working with police forces across the UK to target people doing this sort of thing as well, so you could land yourself in huge trouble trying to watch the footie.
Now, a new scheme has been put in place as people trying to access an illegal stream of one of the Premier League games this weekend will be 'intercepted'.
Arsenal play against Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday (15 September) and some football fans will be looking for an illegal stream instead of trying to watch it on Sky Sports.
BeStreamWise is planning to 'intercept' football fans searching for an illegal stream in the hopes of protecting them from 'the dangers of digital piracy'.
People searching for an illegal stream of the North London Derby will be redirected to another link provided by BeStreamWise.
However, what they'll get to watch will be a literal stream of water while a comedian provides some commentary of the babbling brook.
It might be a bit of a prank but they want you to be aware of the risk you're taking so you can watch 90 minutes of blokes kicking a ball around a pitch where your beloved team may or may not get absolutely tonked.
They've warned that going on the lookout for illegal streams may not only land you in trouble with the law but could leave you wide open for your devices to be infected with viruses and malware, or for you to fall victim to fraud and identity theft.
2.7 million devices belonging to Brits have ended up being infected due to illegal streaming, while 90 percent of illegal streaming sites are classed as risky.
Meanwhile, one in three people who admit to illegally streaming in the UK said they'd been targeted by fraud, identity theft or scams as a result.
Topics: Crime, Football, Premier League, Sport, Technology, UK News, IPTV
Joe Harker