Hey there – did you hear the news? Three of the most popular illegal IPTV services just got taken down by anti-piracy group ACE. I know many cord-cutters used services like Northern IPTV, GloryV, and IPTVOnline24 to access tons of pirated live TV channels. But their shutdown illustrates how risky these type of sites are becoming.
In this post, I‘ll give you the rundown on what happened. I‘ll also discuss the broader crackdown on IPTV piracy and legal alternatives for streaming TV. My goal is to help you understand the changing landscape, so you can avoid legal risks while still enjoying great cord-cutting options.
The Popularity and Sudden Takedown of Northern IPTV, GloryV and IPTVOnline24
First, let‘s look at the specific IPTV services that got shut down:
Northern IPTV:
- Launched in 2019 and had over 300,000 users at its peak
- Offered 2,000+ live TV channels, on-demand movies/shows, and even premium feeds of PPV events
- Generated estimated revenues of $3-4 million per year from subscriptions
GloryV:
- Launched in 2018 and had over 500,000 registered users
- Focused on live sports, with 3,000+ live TV channels and access to PPV matchups
- Raked in $5-7 million per year from premium subscriptions
IPTVOnline24:
- A smaller player based in Quebec with around 50,000 users
- Still offered 10,000+ pirated live TV streams from major networks
- Subscription plans started at $10/month for illegal content
These services were shut down after the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) identified their operators and seized control of their domains.
ACE is a heavyweight anti-piracy group backed by entertainment giants like Netflix, BBC, Disney, and Warner Bros. They aim to eliminate large-scale illegal streaming sites distributing copyrighted content without authorization.
And they‘re finding major success – ACE has terminated over 200 piracy services to date, now including Northern IPTV, GloryV and IPTVOnline24.
Cord Cutters Beware: The Continuing Crackdown on IPTV Piracy
While sites like Northern IPTV and GloryV catered to legitimate cord-cutters, make no mistake – they were profiting massively from piracy, earning millions per year.
Entertainment industry analysts estimate over $9 billion per year is lost from streaming piracy globally. For a company like NBCUniversal alone, it‘s estimated at a staggering $1.2 billion in lost revenues annually.
No wonder groups like ACE are clamping down hard. And this won‘t be the end of it.
Experts predict services illegally distributing live sports and TV will continue being prime targets. ACE and other anti-piracy groups now have sophisticated technical means to identify the operators of such sites. They also employ legal pressure like lawsuits to seize domains and servers used by illegal IPTV services.
So for cord-cutters who used these shut-down IPTV sites…what are the alternatives now?
Legal Alternatives – My Top Picks as a Streaming Analyst
Look, I get the appeal – these illegal IPTV services offered tons of live TV content in one place for a cheap monthly fee. But with the increasing crackdown, it‘s just not worth the legal risk anymore.
Luckily, we still have some great legal options to cut the cord and watch live TV online:
- Mainstream Cable Replacement Services
| Service | Price | Channels | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu Live TV | $70/month | 75+ | Includes Hulu on-demand library. Good channel selection. | No NFL Network or RedZone. Limited cloud DVR. |
| YouTube TV | $65/month | 85+ | Unlimited cloud DVR. Has NFL Network. | No TNT or truTV. |
| Sling TV | $35-$50/month | 30-50 | Lower starting prices. Custom "channel packs". | No ABC, CBS, or NBC. |
These internet TV services from Hulu, YouTube, and Sling give you live streams from major cable channels. Prices range from $35-$70 per month. They recreate the cable experience legally over the internet.
- Premium Sports Streaming Services
For access to live sports without cable, you can subscribe to premium packages like:
- NBA League Pass – $15-$50/month
- MLB.TV – $25-$140/season
- NHL.TV – $99/season
- ESPN+ – $7/month
The downside is local blackout restrictions apply based on your location. But sports fanatics may find value in this a la carte approach over paying for huge cable bundles.
- Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Channels
If you‘re looking for 100% free (but legal) live TV, check out services like:
- Pluto TV – 100+ channels
- The Roku Channel – 130+ channels
- IMDb TV, Tubi TV, Crackle – Dozens of channels
The tradeoff here is you‘ll have to watch some ads. But the benefit is access to live news, sports, movies, and more without paying a dime.
So don‘t despair – with a bit of research you can stitch together a great live TV streaming setup using legal alternatives. Yes, it may cost a bit more than pirated IPTV services, but it will help support the media creators we all enjoy.
I hope this breakdown was useful for understanding the changing landscape around cord-cutting and live TV streaming. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
