Full Breakdown
UK Court Orders Illegal Streaming Kingpin to Repay £3.75 Million, Threatens Extra Ten Years
5/2/2026, 5:32:45 AM
The Confiscation Order and Potential Extended Sentence
Derby Crown Court ordered Mark Gould, founder of the illegal streaming service Flawless, to forfeit £2.35 million within three months or face an extra ten-year term. Gould, serving an 11-year sentence from a 2023 conviction for providing pirated Premier League streams, was joined by four co-defendants ordered to repay a combined £1.4 million. The £3.75 million total is the second-largest confiscation in a UK illegal-streaming case; proceeds will go to the Treasury, courts and law-enforcement.
Background and Prosecution
The prosecution began in 2017 as a private action by the Premier League and anti-piracy group FACT. Flawless, also known as Shared VPS, Optimal and Cosmic, employed about 30 staff, served roughly 50,000 customers and earned over £7 million in five years. The case fits a wider European pattern of harsh penalties for large-scale illegal streaming, exemplified by a recent Spanish conviction with a £7.5 million fine and a 23-month sentence.
Key Figures
Key figures include Mark Gould, the Flawless founder; four unnamed co-defendants; Stefan Sergot, Premier League Director of Legal Enforcement; Doug Love, Principal Trading Standards Investigator for Hammersmith & Fulham Council; and anti-piracy group FACT.
Scale of the Piracy Business
The operation employed about 30 staff, served roughly 50,000 customers and generated over £7 million in revenue; the confiscation order totals £3.75 million. A post-case survey of more than 5,000 respondents found 47 percent admitted watching football via illegal streams.
Official Statements
The Premier League said it remains committed to preventing profit from illegal streaming and described the offenses as severe and extensive, thanking authorities for their expertise. Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Trading Standards noted the confiscation’s size as a deterrent, recalled the 2017 investigation start and called the outcome a “fine conclusion” to the case.
Deterrence Message
Authorities framed the repayment and possible extra imprisonment as a warning, emphasizing that depriving greedy offenders of illicit gains should deter future piracy.
Public Consumption
The survey showing nearly half of respondents use illegal streams highlights the difficulty regulators face in curbing demand despite intensified enforcement.
Verbatim Quotes
- “a challenging case” — Stefan Sergot, Premier League Director of Legal Enforcement
- “severity and extent of the crimes” — Stefan Sergot, Premier League Director of Legal Enforcement
- “ Doug Love, Principal Trading Standards Investigator at Hammersmith & Fulham Council added: “I am very pleased that confiscation of this magnitude has been ordered.” — Doug Love, Principal Trading Standards Investigator, Hammersmith & Fulham Council
- “Premier League Director of Legal Enforcement Stefan Sergot said: “These confiscation proceedings demonstrate our determination to ensure those involved in providing illegal streaming services do not retain the profits from their criminal activity.” — Stefan Sergot, Premier League Director of Legal Enforcement
Upcoming Deadline and Enforcement
Gould must submit the £2.35 million repayment by the end of the three-month period; failure will trigger the additional ten-year sentence. The co-defendants face similar repayment deadlines. Law-enforcement agencies have signalled that further confiscation orders are likely as the crackdown on large-scale illegal streaming continues.
