The Premier League, in collaboration with its local broadcast partner Astro, has launched the latest edition of its annual ‘Boot Out Piracy’ campaign in Malaysia, highlighting the hidden risks that illegal streaming poses to fans.

Now in its fifth edition in Malaysia, some of the biggest stars in football are lending their voices to educate fans through the League’s ‘Boot Out Piracy’ campaign. Featuring Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Raul Jimenez (Fulham), Dan Burn (Newcastle United) and Matty Cash (Aston Villa), these players urge fans to stream safely and legally, highlighting that accessing content through pirate websites and illicit streaming devices (ISDs) places users at significant risk.

Cybercriminals exploit illegal streaming services, exposing Malaysian fans to malware, phishing scams, data theft, as well as harmful or inappropriate content. These hidden risks can compromise personal security and family safety.

A recent study by cybersecurity expert Professor Paul Watters revealed that most pirate websites contain malware, phishing or spam. These sites also expose users to harmful adverts promoting gambling, adult content or scams.

The findings of the research showed that in Malaysia:

• Pirate websites are over 12 times riskier than mainstream sites in exposing people to scams.
• Every pirate website flagged at least one cyber threat (malware, phishing or scams).
• Nearly half of all ads (45 per cent) on pirate websites promote harmful content.
• Analysis of illicit ISDs and pirate apps found that users may unwittingly have their internet connections hijacked and linked to criminal activity, exposing them to fraud, malware, and even law enforcement investigations.

Premier League General Counsel Kevin Plumb said: “Illegal streaming may feel harmless, but the risks go far beyond poor video quality. Research conducted by cybersecurity experts continually highlights the significant dangers of using pirate websites and devices.”

“Working with our broadcast partners and local authorities around the world, we continue to take action against those who provide illegal streams, but piracy is a problem that is always evolving.”“Through the Boot Out Piracy campaign, we highlight that those who stream Premier League football through pirate websites and devices are in danger of exposing themselves and their family members to data theft, cyber threats and scams, which can prove extremely costly.”

“We are pleased to partner with Astro to bring this important message to fans in Malaysia and encourage fans to stream Premier League football safely and responsibly.”

As the exclusive broadcaster of the Premier League in Malaysia, Astro plays an important role in the ‘Boot Out Piracy’ campaign.

Chief Executive Officer of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad, Euan Daryl Smith, said: “Fans who legally enjoy the game should know that not everyone does the same. The sad truth is that many still choose to pirate despite the ethics and the risks that they may not even know they are taking. Piracy brings dangers most people don’t see, from scams and data theft to malware that can compromise family safety.”

“At Astro, we are relentless in taking action against piracy perpetrators, recovering close to RM300,000 [€61,000] through the courts and blocking hundreds of thousands of illegal sites, links and pirated streams.

“These efforts are not only about protecting our business, but also about keeping fans safe and safeguarding the livelihoods of everyone who works hard to bring football to our screens.”

“Working with the Premier League and the authorities, our focus is simple: to ensure fans can watch the game they love in the safest and most reliable way possible.”

In the 2025/25 season, the Premier League detected more 645,000 infringing live online streams and nearly 900,000 unauthorised recorded clips of matches. Working with our partners, 20,0000 domains were blocked across APAC.

The Premier League continues to work closely with Astro and Malaysia’s law enforcement to bring legal actions against pirate operators. The League is also taking proactive steps to reinforce its commitment to protecting intellectual property and supporting its broadcast partners. Through its ongoing site-blocking programme, hundreds of domains have been identified and blocked in Malaysia, preventing access to websites that stream football matches illegally.

Astro also ramped up its anti-piracy enforcement, taking down 748,000 websites and social media links. Collaborating with leading global platforms, the company also removed 580 Telegram groups with 32.2 million subscribers and 5,000 infringing links from global video-sharing sites.

This season’s ‘Boot Out Piracy’ campaign was officially unveiled at the Premier League and British High Commission Anti-Piracy Reception in Kuala Lumpur. The event brought together the Premier League, Astro and local law enforcement authorities to reiterate their commitment to working together to take action against piracy in Malaysia and protect fans from significant cybersecurity risks.

The event was not just a celebration of the Premier League but also an opportunity to highlight the importance of intellectual property protection, the risks piracy poses to fans, and its links to wider criminal activities and how all stakeholders can work together to evolve and enhance anti-piracy efforts.

H.E. Ajay Sharma CMG, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, said: “Football has a unique power to connect people and cultures and nowhere is that more evident than in Malaysia. The Premier League, which is one of the UK’s most iconic cultural exports, contributes enormously towards the people-to-people ties between our two countries.”

“I support the Premier League’s efforts to raise awareness about the risks around content piracy, and to highlight the importance of working with our partners in Malaysia to ensure Malaysian fans can enjoy the game safely.”

The Boot Out Piracy campaign will be showcased across broadcast channels and social media platforms in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in the upcoming months.

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Business, Content, Pay TV, Piracy, Policy, Regulation, Rights

Tags: Astro, Boot Out Piracy, premier league