(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Authorities in Egypt have shut down Streameast, an illegal live sports streaming operation, on the eve of the NFL season.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, an antipiracy coalition, announced the action on Wednesday. The group said Streameast had more than 1.6 billion visits over the past year and was the biggest such organization in the world.

'Today, ACE scored a resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy: by taking down the largest illegal live sports platform anywhere,' said Charles Rivkin, chairman of ACE and chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, in a news release. 'With this landmark action, we have put more points on the board for sports leagues, entertainment companies, and fans worldwide -- and our global alliance will stay on the field as long as it takes to identify and target the biggest piracy rings across the globe.'

Through Streameast, fans who didn't pay for access to cable television or streaming services accessed sports worldwide, including the four major U.S. sports leagues, Major League Soccer, boxing and martial arts pay-per-views, and a variety of international soccer leagues.

'Piracy is not a victimless crime -- it undermines the entire sports economy, from rights holders and leagues to athletes and fans,' said Cameron Andrews, a legal director of anti-piracy for beIN MEDIA GROUP.

The Athletic reported that two men were taken into custody on suspicion of copyright infringement in Egypt. At the time of arrest, authorities took laptops and smart phones that allegedly made the streaming possible, and they also seized cash and credit cards.

The report also said investigators found evidence of an affiliated shell company that had been used to launder just over $6 million, as well as real estate that had been purchased with illegal funds.

--Field Level Media