(Illustration: Getty Images)

Members of the gang received prison terms ranging from three to eleven years each. They raked in more 8.7 million USD selling subscriptions to three illegal platforms streaming to 50,000 customers and resellers.

Mark Gould of London was convicted of masterminding the operation and was handed an 11-year prison sentence.

The 36-year-old and his co-defendants sold illegal access to football matches on hundreds of channels around the world, as well as tens of thousands of on-demand films and TV shows.

It accessed feeds from broadcasters in the UK, Qatar, the United States, Australia, and Canada and restreamed them a few seconds later. The operation used mobile phone and online apps screening Premier League matches and other content.