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Two brothers have been charged for managing an illegal sports streaming platform that generated over $7 million in revenue, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The operation, known as 247TVStream, provided unauthorized live sports and television streams to subscribers for $10 per month.
The Indictment
Noor Nabi Chowdhury, 56, of Cheektowaga, New York, and his brother, Mohammad Rahman, 36, of Dhaka, Bangladesh, were indicted on charges including conspiracy to provide an illicit digital transmission service, providing such a service, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Chowdhury was arrested in New York on Tuesday, while Rahman remains at large, with an arrest warrant issued for his capture. The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 28 years in prison for each brother.
The indictment, unsealed on November 15, reveals that the brothers ran 247TVStream from May 2017 to November 2024. They purchased legitimate streaming accounts and redistributed the content to their subscribers, bypassing copyright protections.
Financial and Legal Fallout
The Justice Department estimates the platform caused over $100 million in losses to copyright holders, although specific details supporting that figure were not provided. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated that the brothers “stole copyrighted television programs for personal enrichment,” while Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge William Walker noted that they also exploited an unsuspecting victim’s identity to further their scheme.
As part of the investigation, HSI seized the domain names associated with 247TVStream. Collaborating with officials in the Netherlands and the U.K., they also dismantled additional servers supporting the operation. Visitors to the 247TVStream website are now greeted by a law enforcement notice.
Broader Crackdown on Illegal Streaming
The case against 247TVStream is the latest in a series of actions targeting illegal streaming operations. Five individuals connected to the streaming service Jetflicks were indicted earlier this year, with one convicted just last week. Similarly, operators of HeHeStreams faced charges in 2021, and German authorities took down a major illegal movie streaming site earlier this year.
Content providers and sports leagues are increasingly collaborating with law enforcement globally to combat the growing threat of illegal streaming, which undermines the value of legitimate services.
This case underscores the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to protecting intellectual property rights and prosecuting those who exploit stolen content for financial gain.
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