Another warning has been issued to IPTV users who use the service to stream Premier League football.

While watching football on multiple channels like Sky Sports and TNT Sports costs a fortune, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) has become a popular method.

Remarkably, according to a YouGov poll carried out last year, one in ten Britons admitted to using illicit means to watch the biggest sporting events.

IPTV is often loaded onto jailbroken Amazon Fire Sticks to provide access to live sports from around the world, as well as TV shows and movies.

Users typically pay a monthly or annual fee for the service, but unauthorized streams violate copyright law and are illegal.

Image: Getty

Authorities have targeted those providing these services and imposed harsh prison sentences – with one man in Greece sentenced to eight years behind bars.

This followed the sentencing of two brothers to a combined total of 11 years in prison for similar offenses in August.

However, there is now real pressure to weed out those who use the services and distribute content illegally.

Ahead of the new season, it was confirmed that the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) had been working alongside Sky and the UK police force to crack down.

Image: Getty

And in Italy they’re not kidding, with Serie A chief Luigi De Siervo saying automatic fines of €5,000 (£4,200) will be handed out.

Speaking on a YouTube broadcast, he said that “any illegal use of video content leaves an indelible digital breadcrumb that will allow law enforcement to pursue pirates.”

De Siervo added that “No one can think of continuing to steal content illegally and getting away with it.”

He called the proposed action “a fundamental measure in the fight against piracy.”

The Authority for the Guarantee of Communications in Italy (AGCOM) is working on new methods to communicate information about people who illegally watch sport on “questionable” boxes.

Italy has already gone a step ahead by introducing a Piracy Shield system, designed to block illegal IP addresses and websites.