The Premier League has been granted a court order to stop matches being streamed illegally

The Premier League has been granted a court order to stop matches being streamed for free on "Kodi" set-top boxes.

This decision means that Sky, alongside the UK's other Internet Service Providers (ISPs), will be obliged to shut down the source of illegal streams.

Earlier this week, a man was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a £250,000 fine for selling "fully loaded" Kodi boxes at pubs around the United Kingdom.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The Premier League has been granted significant blocking remedies to further curtail the availability of illegal streams.

"For the first time this will enable the Premier League to disrupt and prevent the illegal streaming of our matches via IPTV, so-called Kodi, boxes.

"The Order was granted under Section 97a of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, and further demonstrates our intellectual property rights are protected by the law.

2:58 Man Utd 1-1 Bournemouth Man Utd 1-1 Bournemouth

"This will enable us to target the suppliers of illegal streams to IPTV boxes, and the internet, in a proportionate and precise manner.

"We will continue working with ISPs, government and other sports content producers to protect consumers from illegitimate services that offer no recourse when services are removed, provide no parental controls and, in many instances, are provided by individuals involved in other criminal activity."

A man was fined £250,000 earlier this week for selling Kodi boxes at pubs and clubs

Malcolm Mayes, from Hartlepool, was prosecuted by the town's trading standards department after selling boxes for £1,000 each so pub and club customers could watch Premier League football and other pay-per-view events.

A Teesside Crown Court judge ordered him to pay the council's £170,000 costs while a Proceeds of Crime Order was made against him for a further £80,000.

A Sky spokesperson said: "We are pleased the English Premier League's application to crack down on illegal streaming has been granted.

Sky and other broadcasters will be able to block illegal streams at source

"Content piracy is theft and the success of this application is an important step in tackling the issue.

"It's in the interests of both consumers and everyone working in the creative industries that we all take piracy seriously.

"We'll continue to work with rights holders, government, online market places and content creators to tackle today's piracy and make people aware of the risks it presents and the damage it causes."