Survey: What’s the deal with piracy?
David Farnor | On 24, Apr 2014
Game of Thrones is the most pirated TV programme of all time, according to TorrentFreak.
Episode 1 of Season 4 was downloaded by 1.5 million people around the world within 24 hours of it being broadcast. According to the site, the episode was primarily downloaded by viewers in Australia, the USA, the UK, Canada and the Netherlands – despite the fact that the series is now available to watch online legally in all of them.
In the past, the show has been downloaded by people unable to watch the series without a subscription to HBO or (in the UK) Sky. Now, though, Sky offers Game of Thrones on NOW live and on-demand for an introductory price of £4.99 per month. (From 29th May 2014, this renews at £6.99 per month.)
Why do so many people still choose the illegal route? It’s not just members of the public, either: according to another piece of research by Stephen Follows, 39 per cent of film industry professionals admitted to illegally downloading a movie or TV show.
So what’s the deal with piracy? Is it a question of habit, convenience, impatience?
We’re conducting an anonymous survey to shed light on the viewing habits of TV and film fans, specifically in the UK.
We’ll bring the results to you in an in-depth report later this month.
If you’d like to take part, please fill in the survey below. No personal details will be collected in any way. Please share it with anyone you know to produce the most accurate figures possible.