The English Premier League is the world's most watched football league, and roughly half its fan base and a quarter of its television audience is here in Asia.
The support of fans is integral to the success of the Premier League, which is why we want to ensure they get the best possible viewing experience and stay safe from the risks that often come with illegal streaming.
That's why the Premier League's first international office – which we opened in Singapore in 2019 – is collaborating with local authorities and lawmakers across the region, including here in Malaysia, to tackle piracy.
We carry out a wide array of activities to combat piracy, including blocking illegal websites and apps, bringing criminal and civil legal actions against suppliers of pirated content, and launching large-scale education campaigns for fans. Key to this are our strong partnerships and collaborations with local authorities and broadcasters, such as Astro.
Piracy is a crime the Malaysian government takes very seriously. In 2022, following extensive consultations with key stakeholders such as the Premier League and Astro, the Malaysian government made amendments to Malaysia's Copyright Act to address pirate streaming technology.
These new provisions criminalise the manufacture, sale, possession, and distribution of products and services, such as illegal streaming devices, that infringe copyright.
To support the efforts of local authorities, the Premier League works to detect and monitor piracy, providing greater visibility around illegal streaming operations in Malaysia. By providing local authorities with crucial information and evidence, the Premier League empowers them to take legal action against website operators and suppliers of illicit streaming devices in Malaysia.
Alongside Astro, we took successful civil action against a bar and restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that was airing pirated sports broadcasts for its customers in November 2022.
The High Court ruling for this case set a landmark precedent that it is illegal to display content from unauthorised sources, or without the appropriate commercial licences within commercial premises.
Through partnership, we can bring together different sets of technical expertise, leading to new ways of shutting pirates down. Just last month, our collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living led to the successful implementation of a site blocking method capable of taking down new types of pirate websites.
In addition to tackling the supply of pirated content, the Premier League is also working with our partners to keep fans safe from the cybersecurity risks of accessing illegal material. While the vast majority of our fans do not pirate, those who do often get more than they bargained for.
Cybercrime is becoming an increasing concern across the region, including in Malaysia. Just in the last quarter of 2022, an average of 84 million recorded cyberattacks were recorded daily in the nation, and those who watch the Premier League illegally are at increased risk, potentially putting themselves at the mercy of these same cybercriminals, who use an array of methods to compromise the devices of those pirating football.
Research by intellectual property and data analytics company White Bullet Solutions shows that 44 per cent of the most popular pirate websites in Malaysia for illegally watching the Premier League carry content that put fans at risk of fraud, contain malware or promote adult or gambling services.
Meanwhile, it takes less than one minute for a device to be hacked by malware from a pirate site, according to Professor Paul Watters, a leading cybersecurity consultant at La Trobe University in Australia.
The Premier League is working with its partners to keep fans safe. That's why we partnered with Astro to launch the "Boot Out Piracy" campaign across broadcast and digital channels in Malaysia back in 2020.
This year, the campaign features Premier League footballers - including Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan, Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy and Leeds United's Jack Harrison - raising awareness of the security risks of viewing Premier League football on illegal websites and devices, while also drawing attention to the disrupted viewing experience on these services.
We must be mindful that, although we have made considerable progress against piracy, there is a need to remain vigilant. Pirates are continually exploring new ways to avoid detection and evade enforcement.
Together with our partners, we must rise to the challenge. The best football teams adopt different defensive strategies for different opponents, and we must be equally flexible in our response to piracy, sharing best practice, working together and incorporating the latest technology into our efforts to ensure our long-term success.
The writer is General Counsel of the English Premier League
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times