Global rollout begins as Amazon blocks piracy-linked apps on both new and older Fire TV Sticks
Amazon is taking aggressive new steps to curb illegal streaming on its popular Fire TV Stick, moving to block third-party apps that enable access to pirated content. The crackdown, first reported by The Athletic, has already begun in France and Germany, with a worldwide rollout planned over the coming weeks and months.
For years, the Fire TV Stick — alongside similar plug-in streaming devices — has been widely associated with unauthorized sports streaming. Users have often “side-loaded” apps that bypass official app stores to access illegal live sports feeds at prices far cheaper than legitimate broadcasters.
A Device-Level Ban
According to the report, Amazon will now block piracy-linked apps at the device level, rendering many sideloaded apps inoperable. TechRadar notes that this move could also undermine the common workaround of using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions or mask activity.
The decision follows the recent launch of Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which runs on a Linux-based system instead of Android — a shift that makes it harder for users to modify or exploit the software. The new stick also restricts app installs exclusively to the Amazon Appstore and introduces beefed-up security protections.
An Amazon spokesperson told The Athletic:
“Piracy is illegal and we’ve always worked to block it from our app store. We’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our app store. This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses and fraud.”
Illegal Streaming Is Widespread
A recent six-month YouGov Sport survey commissioned by The Athletic highlights the scale of the issue.
- About 9% of UK adults — roughly 4.7 million people — illegally streamed sports in 2025, up by about 200,000 from two years prior.
- Fire TV Sticks (and similar plug-in devices) were the second most common method used, cited by 31% of respondents.
- Unauthorized websites remain the top source of illicit sports streams at 42%.
A Major Shift for Fire TV
By enforcing system-level blocks on piracy tools, Amazon is signaling a significant shift in how it manages its streaming hardware ecosystem. The company has long prohibited piracy apps in its official store, but this new step goes much further, targeting sideloading — a major reason some users prefer Fire TV over more locked-down competitors.
As the global rollout continues, millions of Fire TV users engaging in illegal sports streaming may soon find their favorite third-party apps unusable.
