A man from Shrewsbury has joined a growing list of people in prison for defrauding the Premier League. Steven Mills was behind the pirate IPTV brands Eyepeeteevee and Pikabox. Mills pleaded guilty in June and at Crown Court this week, received a 36-month prison sentence. Along with some additional details on the case, today we take a closer look at how the Premier League used the news to send specific messaging in support of its overall anti-piracy drive.


When companies want to increase sales of their products, marketing teams work extremely hard to ensure that the target audience receives exactly the right message at precisely the right time.

Anti-piracy campaigns may feel a little different due to messaging that deters sales; those relating to piracy services or devices, for example. However, at their heart anti-piracy campaigns are simply marketing campaigns tailored to a specific audience, using messaging that aims to uproot deeply entrenched consumption habits by focusing on the negatives of a rival (and illegal) product.

When sent out to dozens of news publications, many of which are happy to deliver that messaging almost verbatim, campaign press releases can enjoy significant exposure. That’s exactly what happened again on Thursday and Friday following news that yet another man from the UK will be spending a considerable time behind bars; marketing cost to the Premier League: £0.00.

36 Months in Prison For IPTV Pirate

“The individual behind a sophisticated illegal streaming service which showed Premier League matches has been jailed today for two and a half years,” the Premier League’s statement begins.

“The conviction and sentencing of Steven Mills, aged 58 from Shrewsbury, follows a joint investigation by the Premier League, West Mercia Police, and anti-piracy organization FACT.”

While the press release is fairly light on background, Mills was arrested in his home town in the summer of 2021. Police reported the arrest of a man in connection with an illegal streaming service offering premium TV channels, noting they were able to deliver an on-screen message to users of the service stating it was likely unlawful.

Items Seized During the Raid

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Police also seized a considerable number of devices. Websites operated by Mills carried statements that insisted only hardware was for sale, definitely no pirate subscriptions, but evidence suggesting otherwise isn’t in short supply.

Indeed, marketing and promotion of products and services under Mills’ Pikabox UK and Eyepeeteevee brands leave no doubt as to what was on offer. The YouTube video below may date back five years when the mainstream was less savvy, but it’s unlikely there would’ve been widespread confusion.


Whether the video was used by the prosecution isn’t clear but the formation of the company Pikabox UK Ltd in September 2017 provides suitable grounds for alleging several years worth of offending.

‘Illegal Firestick’ Organization

Beyond the details of Mills’ sentencing, the Premier League’s press release makes for interesting reading, particularly in light of the new UK anti-piracy campaign launched recently. There’s no doubt that a lot of thought went into the release and reading between the lines, the Premier League has a few specific threats on its mind.

Mills, who ran the organization which sold so-called “Firesticks” via a closed Facebook group and claimed to have more than 30,000 subscribers, pleaded guilty in June earlier this year to multiple fraud offenses at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
Sorry, no Firesticks

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We could begin by highlighting the use of the word “claimed” in respect of a Facebook group with a supposed 30,000 members, because if it really did have 30,000 members and that could be shown after a criminal prosecution, the word probably wouldn’t be there.

However, it’s the direct reference to “Firesticks” that draws the most interest.


Despite being legal hardware, the brand appears prominently in the headline and another three times in the press release, including in places where the device is clearly singled out above all other devices sold by Mills.