English Premier League obtains Singapore court order forcing ISPs to block 25 illegal streaming websites

SINGAPORE: The English Premier League has obtained an order from Singapore’s High Court to force internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to 25 websites that illegally stream football matches.

These 25 sites are the most popular among illegal streaming sites, the Premier League said in a statement to CNA on Thursday (Mar 21).

The league had summoned several Singapore telcos including M1, MyRepublic, Singtel and ViewQwest to court in February for the copyright and designs case.

In the league’s statement, it said it has successfully secured the court order as part of its ongoing efforts to tackle illegal streaming throughout Asia.

“The technical method by which the ISPs are required to implement the blocks has been refined, making it harder for the operators of the pirated websites to circumvent them,” said the league.

With the latest order, more than 460 domains are now blocked in Singapore by the Premier League.

The league has a global anti-piracy programme, working in the past year with authorities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Vietnam to crack down on suppliers of illegal Premier League content.

Legal actions included website blocks in Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as landmark cases against sellers of illicit streaming devices in Singapore.

General counsel for the Premier League Kevin Plumb said the Singapore courts’ decision shows “a continued commitment to protecting intellectual property”.

He added that shutting down such pirate sites not only stops illegal activity but helps reduce the risk of fans being scammed.

“We know from recent research that people accessing illegal streaming sites in Singapore are nearly four times more likely to be exposed to a cyber threat than on a mainstream site,” he said.

He said the league will continue working with its broadcast partner StarHub, as well as local authorities and ISPs, to block illegal streams.

In 2022, StarHub won the broadcasting rights in Singapore for the English Premier League, breaking a 12-year streak by rival Singtel. The six-year deal started in the 2022-2023 season.

The Premier League recently commissioned a study by Professor Paul Watters, a cybersecurity consultant and researcher. It found that consumers have an average 48 per cent chance of encountering a cyber threat on the top 25 illegal streaming sites in Singapore.

More than half of the advertisements analysed on these websites were categorised as high risk, with consumers 3.5 times more at risk of scams when visiting illegal sports streaming sites compared with mainstream sites, the study stated.

The blocking comes about five years after the Premier League first opened an international office in Singapore.