Football fans who illegally watch the Premier League and other competitions have been sent a stark warning after a man was handed one of the most severe punishments on record for illegal IPTV streaming.

The increase in the use of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology has helped to contribute to an upsurge in illegal streaming of sports events, including the Premier League.

Despite the potential legal implications of illegally streaming sport and the security risks involved, one in 10 Britons has admitted to using illicit means to watch sport – according to a YouGov poll last year.

Sky and other broadcasters have been working with police forces across the UK to target those responsible for setting up the illegal services, with a new initiative – BeStreamWise – launched last month to dissuade fans from accessing sport illegally.

It comes after two brothers were sentenced to a combined 11 years behind bars in August following a crackdown on illegal IPTV streaming, which is often accessed through jailbroken Fire Sticks.

Fans have now been sent another major warning after a man in Greece was handed ‘one of the most punishing sentences on record’ for setting up illegal IPTV streams.

Greek outlet Skair.gr [via TorrentFreak] report that the man was sentenced to eight years in prison and handed a €17,000 (£14,146) fine by a Thessaloniki Court in a landmark case in the Mediterranean country.

The unnamed man, who for ‘many years operated as a reseller of illegal IPTV packages’, was connected to a broader criminal organisation, which obtained illegal profits of millions of euros after setting up the streams.

One in 10 Britons has admitted to using illegal streams (Image: Getty)

It is claimed that he had thousands of subscribers in both Greece and abroad at the time of his arrest, with typical monthly access costing around €15 to €20 (£12 to £16).

The authorities are also said to have obtained the personal details of up to 50,000 illegal IPTV subscribers following a number of raids in recent months.

It is claimed that those customers could now face prosecution themselves, with investigations ongoing and ‘arrests planned’.