diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 47e686f84..03f598fe9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -160,27 +160,33 @@ Alternatively, refer to the [developer instructions](#developer-instructions) fo
                                          than COUNT views
     --max-views COUNT                    Do not download any videos with more
                                          than COUNT views
-    --match-filter FILTER                Generic video filter. Specify any key
-                                         (see the "OUTPUT TEMPLATE" for a list
-                                         of available keys) to match if the key
-                                         is present, !key to check if the key is
-                                         not present, key > NUMBER (like
-                                         "comment_count > 12", also works with
-                                         >=, <, <=, !=, =) to compare against a
-                                         number, key = 'LITERAL' (like "uploader
-                                         = 'Mike Smith'", also works with !=) to
-                                         match against a string literal and & to
-                                         require multiple matches. Values which
-                                         are not known are excluded unless you
-                                         put a question mark (?) after the
-                                         operator. For example, to only match
-                                         videos that have been liked more than
-                                         100 times and disliked less than 50
-                                         times (or the dislike functionality is
-                                         not available at the given service),
-                                         but who also have a description, use
-                                         --match-filter "like_count > 100 &
+    --match-filter FILTER                Generic video filter. Specify any key (see
+                                         the "OUTPUT TEMPLATE" for a list of
+                                         available keys) to match if the key is
+                                         present, !key to check if the key is not
+                                         present, key > NUMBER (like "comment_count
+                                         > 12", also works with >=, <, <=, !=, =) to
+                                         compare against a number, key = 'LITERAL'
+                                         (like "uploader = 'Mike Smith'", also works
+                                         with !=) to match against a string literal
+                                         and & to require multiple matches. Values
+                                         which are not known are excluded unless you
+                                         put a question mark (?) after the operator.
+                                         For example, to only match videos that have
+                                         been liked more than 100 times and disliked
+                                         less than 50 times (or the dislike
+                                         functionality is not available at the given
+                                         service), but who also have a description,
+                                         use --match-filter "like_count > 100 &
                                          dislike_count <? 50 & description" .
+                                         For matching strings, the oparators ~= and
+                                         !~= check for string containment and
+                                         exclusion. The operators *= and !*= search
+                                         for a regular expression.
+                                         For example, to only match videos which
+                                         have neither 'sponsored' nor 'Sponsored' in
+                                         the title, use --match-filter "title !*=
+                                         '[Ss]ponsored'".
     --no-playlist                        Download only the video, if the URL
                                          refers to a video and a playlist.
     --yes-playlist                       Download the playlist, if the URL
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index ca36909a8..d6ce5ac7d 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -1334,7 +1334,6 @@ ffmpeg version 2.4.4 Copyright (c) 2000-2014 the FFmpeg ...'''), '2.4.4')
             '9999 51')
 
     def test_match_str(self):
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, match_str, 'xy>foobar', {})
         self.assertFalse(match_str('xy', {'x': 1200}))
         self.assertTrue(match_str('!xy', {'x': 1200}))
         self.assertTrue(match_str('x', {'x': 1200}))
@@ -1351,6 +1350,17 @@ ffmpeg version 2.4.4 Copyright (c) 2000-2014 the FFmpeg ...'''), '2.4.4')
         self.assertTrue(match_str('y=foobar42', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
         self.assertFalse(match_str('y!=foobar42', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
         self.assertTrue(match_str('y!=foobar2', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertTrue(match_str('y^=foo', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertFalse(match_str('y!^=foo', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertFalse(match_str('y^=bar', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertTrue(match_str('y!^=bar', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, match_str, 'x^=42', {'x': 42})
+        self.assertTrue(match_str('y*=bar', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertFalse(match_str('y!*=bar', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertFalse(match_str('y*=baz', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertTrue(match_str('y!*=baz', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertTrue(match_str('y$=42', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
+        self.assertFalse(match_str('y$=43', {'y': 'foobar42'}))
         self.assertFalse(match_str(
             'like_count > 100 & dislike_count <? 50 & description',
             {'like_count': 90, 'description': 'foo'}))
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index e1b05b307..b00245100 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -4814,11 +4814,13 @@ def _match_one(filter_part, dct):
         '>': operator.gt,
         '>=': operator.ge,
         '=': operator.eq,
-        '!=': operator.ne,
+        '*=': operator.contains,
+        '^=': lambda attr, value: attr.startswith(value),
+        '$=': lambda attr, value: attr.endswith(value),
     }
     operator_rex = re.compile(r'''(?x)\s*
         (?P<key>[a-z_]+)
-        \s*(?P<op>%s)(?P<none_inclusive>\s*\?)?\s*
+        \s*(?P<negation>!\s*)?(?P<op>%s)(?P<none_inclusive>\s*\?)?\s*
         (?:
             (?P<intval>[0-9.]+(?:[kKmMgGtTpPeEzZyY]i?[Bb]?)?)|
             (?P<quote>["\'])(?P<quotedstrval>(?:\\.|(?!(?P=quote)|\\).)+?)(?P=quote)|
@@ -4828,7 +4830,11 @@ def _match_one(filter_part, dct):
         ''' % '|'.join(map(re.escape, COMPARISON_OPERATORS.keys())))
     m = operator_rex.search(filter_part)
     if m:
-        op = COMPARISON_OPERATORS[m.group('op')]
+        unnegated_op = COMPARISON_OPERATORS[m.group('op')]
+        if m.group('negation'):
+            op = lambda attr, value: not unnegated_op(attr, value)
+        else:
+            op = unnegated_op
         actual_value = dct.get(m.group('key'))
         if (m.group('quotedstrval') is not None
             or m.group('strval') is not None
@@ -4838,14 +4844,14 @@ def _match_one(filter_part, dct):
             # https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/issues/11082).
             or actual_value is not None and m.group('intval') is not None
                 and isinstance(actual_value, compat_str)):
-            if m.group('op') not in ('=', '!='):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    'Operator %s does not support string values!' % m.group('op'))
             comparison_value = m.group('quotedstrval') or m.group('strval') or m.group('intval')
             quote = m.group('quote')
             if quote is not None:
                 comparison_value = comparison_value.replace(r'\%s' % quote, quote)
         else:
+            if m.group('op') in ('*=', '^=', '$='):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    'Operator %s only supports string values!' % m.group('op'))
             try:
                 comparison_value = int(m.group('intval'))
             except ValueError: