Has Streaming Brought Piracy Back?
A recent study highlights a significant resurgence in online piracy, attributed to escalating streaming service costs and the fragmentation of content across multiple platforms. In the 2010s, affordable and centralized streaming options had curbed piracy rates. However, as market demands push streaming services to increase prices and distribute content across various platforms without a unified directory, consumers are reverting to illegal streaming sites. Attorney Rob Rosenberg notes that this complexity and cost have led many back to piracy. The study reports over 230 billion annual views of pirated content, resulting in substantial financial losses for distributors and studios. The United States tops the list with 17.38 billion visits to piracy websites, followed by Russia and India. The music industry also suffers, with illegal streaming leading to significant revenue losses and job cuts. Notably, piracy demographics have shifted, with the average age now between 25 and 34, indicating normalization among older audiences. Media anthropologist Gareth Barkin emphasizes that consumers desire convenient access to desired content without managing numerous subscriptions or incurring high costs, prompting a return to piracy.
