The Premier League today launched its first anti-piracy media campaign in Malaysia. The ‘Boot Out Piracy’ advertising campaign aims to raise awareness of the compromised viewing quality and risks faced by fans watching matches via illegal streams.

It will highlight the dangers illegal streams pose to fans, as well as the poor viewing experience. Not only do fans face delays, broken links, and pop-up ads, by accessing illegal streams, they expose themselves to the threat of malicious malware and ransomware, which often lead to data theft and fraud.

‘Boot Out Piracy’ will run across digital platforms with campaign imagery featuring of some of the Premier League’s top players, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, Liverpool FC’s Mohammed Salah, and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.

Managers such as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pep Guardiola and Frank Lampard also feature in a campaign that will also launch in Indonesia and Hong Kong ahead of the start of the 2020/21 Season.

According to a nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 people in Malaysia:

• 68% of those trying to watch football via illicit means had experienced disruption or unreliability most
if not all of the time
• A quarter of those who had watched pirated material had stopped due to getting a virus or malware
on their device.

The campaign launches 18 months after the Premier League opened its first Asia-Pacific office in Singapore, established primarily to fight piracy and support broadcast partners in the region.

The League and its clubs have millions of passionate fans in Asia, and the Premier League works with broadcast partners, including Astro in Malaysia, to make all 380 matches per season available to viewers across the region.

Premier League Director of Legal Services Kevin Plumb said: “We want Premier League fans to watch our matches in the best possible way, not ruined by time-lags, glitches or viruses and malicious malware. There is a hidden cost to watching football through pirate services and this campaign reminds fans it is not worth compromising broadcast quality or the risk of becoming a victim of data theft or fraud.

“Football fans in Malaysia are among the world’s most passionate; we want them to watch Premier League action safely and enjoy the best viewing experience via our official broadcast partner channels.”

The Premier League's anti-piracy efforts in Asia have already been extensive and include blocking action against illegal apps and websites in Singapore and Indonesia, blocking illegal websites in Malaysia, and working with law enforcement authorities to bring criminal action against suppliers of illicit streaming devices and website operators across the region, including in Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

The League is also a member of the Coalition Against Piracy which represents the creative industries across the region.

Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports, Astro said: “Together with the Premier League, Astro is committed to working with the authorities to protect the value of intellectual property by fighting piracy. As the official and exclusive broadcaster in Malaysia, Astro is committed to serving sports fans with the best and a hassle-free viewing experience.

"Catch every drama and moment. Watch all 380 matches for the 2020/21 season live in HD
and streaming on Astro GO; and selected matches in 4K UHD with our new Ultra Box and Astro Broadband.”

The campaign was developed with creative agency DDB Worldwide.