A coordinated raid on October 29, 2024, successfully dismantled the pirate streaming site score808.US, which was a major source of unauthorized sports content.
The operation was conducted jointly by inspectors from the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) and officers from National Police Service in Makadara Subcounty, Nairobi County, and led to the arrest of the primary suspect responsible for the site, which had over 21,000 active users and attracted 27.6 million unique visitors globally within a year.
It’s worth noting that Kenya contributed approximately 8.85 million unique visitors, accounting for 32.08% of the total traffic to the site, while South Africa and Nigeria accounted for approximately 1.62 million and 1.15 million unique visitors, respectively.
score808.US facilitated access to illegal broadcasts of high-profile sports events, including matches from the English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga through channels such as Sky Sports and SuperSport. During the raid, authorities seized the site’s backend database, took the platform offline and the suspect’s mobile phone and laptop for further further forensic analysis by the Kenyan Police Cyber Crime team. Authorities confirm that additional arrests are anticipated as the investigation progresses.
KECOBO’s Acting Executive Director, Mr George Nyakweba, emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property, while industry representatives praised the operation as a vital step against piracy. “We fully support all rights holders in protecting their intellectual property. It is KECOBO’s mandate to assist rights holders in safeguarding their rights in Kenya. Such raids are crucial in preserving the integrity of the works of the creatives,” said Mr. Nyakweba.
“This is part of our ongoing strategy to address piracy in all its forms across the African continent. We commend the Kenya Copyright Board and the National Police Service for their excellent work in this operation. Their dedication to combating piracy is invaluable in protecting the rights of legitimate content owners,” said Frikkie Jonker of Irdeto, a world leader in digital platform cybersecurity.
The shutdown of score808.US is expected to safeguard legitimate revenue, support job retention, and bolster Kenya and Africa’s creative industry by mitigating the economic impact of piracy.
Source: Adomonline