Astro signals return of English Premier League, all 380 matches available on its platforms for upcoming season

PETALING JAYA, Sept 6 — Just six days left until the start of the new English Premier League (EPL) season.

With Liverpool finally ending their 30-year hunt for a Premier League crown after an impressive campaign, it’s fair to say that the 2020/21 season is going to be filled with excitement as the rest of the pile try to keep up with the Scousers. 

With the new season kicking off in just under a week, on September 12, Astro is set to provide its customers with a front-row seat this coming season, with the most comprehensive coverage of EPL action and other live sporting events as well. 

The EPL is set to kick off on September 12, with Arsenal taking on newly-promoted Fulham on opening day. — Picture courtesy of Astro

“With live sports making its return, Astro is back stronger and more excited than ever to serve Malaysian sports fans with the biggest sporting events from around the world,” said Astro Group COO and CEO, TV Euan Smith during an EPL event at Central Avenue, Sunway Pyramid recently. 

“Besides providing comprehensive coverage, we are taking football viewing to the next level with our Ultra Box and Broadband offerings.

“The new Ultra Box gives you 4K UHD sparkling quality, cloud recordings and content search and recommendations that are as good in the industry as I’ve ever seen — allied to fantastic broadband for interactivity. Anytime football happens, it will be on.”

Smith said that the Astro GO app will also come in handy, given the difference in time zones between here and in the UK, as viewers can enjoy watching matches without having to stay up late all night.  

Smith, who is also Astro Group COO, is hoping that Liverpool can retain their EPL crown this coming season. — Picture by Choo Choy May

“Customers need never miss a sporting moment with our Astro GO companion apps, streaming exclusive EPL programmes on demand wherever and whenever they wish,” said the life-long Liverpool fan. 

“It’s a fantastic piece of kit. It’s Astro in your pocket and you get so much extra value from that subscription and service. You can sit anywhere and watch football whenever you choose. There are people elsewhere in the globe that would kill for that type of quality.”

As the official broadcaster of the EPL in Malaysia, Astro will bring all 380 matches of the 20/21 EPL season live on TV and Astro GO, with up to two selected matches a week available in 4K UHD. 

Astro’s head of sports CK Lee said that the company will be looking for “new ways” to excite fans this coming season, with the world going digital due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“By going digital, we are able to offer many-can’t-buy experiences such as virtual meet and greets with Premier League footballers and pundits, like meeting Gary Neville today. We’ve never had this kind of opportunity to get these top icons to engage with our local fans,” said Lee during the event yesterday. 

Astro SuperSport presenters Reem Shahwa and Adam Carruthers speaking to former Manchester United captain Gary Neville at the EPL event yesterday. — Picture by Choo Choy May

At the event, which was hosted by Astro SuperSports personalities Reem Shahwa and Adam Carruthers, former Manchester United captain Gary Neville made a special appearance via video call, with former EPL legends Nicolas Anelka and Dimitar Berbatov also making appearances to speak with fans in the mall. 

Lee added that they would also be looking to host live match-viewing parties with Astro SuperSport hosts and talents, as well as more opportunities to win exclusive merchandise.

He also said that there was so much more than just football matches available for viewing, with a tonne of shows revolving around football as well. 

Astro’s head of sports CK Lee said that the company is working on a host of new interactive initiatives and activities for fans to take part in as well. — Picture by Choo Choy May

“There are over 500 hours of supporting programmes like Fanzone, Premier League Daily, pre-match shows, post-match discussions, and you can see all this content on our on-demand services and Astro GO,” said Lee. 

It’s not all just about the EPL, however, as Astro will also be featuring some of the biggest global sporting events including La Liga, Serie A, Formula 1, Moto GP, UFC and NBA. 

Astro also announced that it will be launching its first anti-piracy campaign, “Boot Out Piracy”, in partnership with the EPL, to raise awareness about the dangers of watching matches via illegal streams. 

Astro customers can subscribe to the Astro Sports Pack, allowing football fans to watch sporting events globally on 11 different HD channels such as FOX Sports, beIN Sports MAX, Eurosport, Astro Arena, Astro SuperSport and eGG Network. 

For more information on how to catch all the EPL action next season and on the Astro’s Sports Pack, surf over to https://promotions.astro.com.my/details/getsports.