Game of Thrones most pirated show of 2014
David Farnor | On 28, Dec 2014
Game of Thrones is the most pirated show of 2014.
HBO’s fantasy epic was downloaded at least an estimated 8.1 million times, according to Torrent Freak, making it the most illegally watched TV series in the world for the third year in a row.
Indeed, the series is no stranger to piracy, thanks to its historical low accessibility inside and outside of the US, without a costly subscription. This year, though, Sky introduced a new option for UK viewers: an Entertainment Membership through NOW, which gave users live streaming access to the programme on Sky Atlantic, and the ability to catch up online within 30 days, for £6.99 a month – with no contract.
Despite that measure, the series remains highly popular among pirates. Why? A comparison with Facebook and Twitter’s lists of the most talked-about TV series of 2014 offers a clue, thanks to its high number of crossovers. Game of Thrones was the fifth most tweeted-about show this year and the most talked-about on Facebook, while The Big Bang Theory (the third most pirated show) was the fourth most talked-about on Facebook and How I Met Your Mother (the fourth most pirated show) was the ninth most talked-about on Facebook.
Others, such as Gotham (the fifth most downloaded) and Arrow (the sixth), were delayed by several weeks from their US premiere before arriving in the UK (on Channel 5 and Sky respectively). In other countries, such as Australia, Gotham will not be available until it arrives on Netflix next year. The list of the top 10 most pirated shows is completed by Grey’s Anatomy, Vikings, Suits and South Park.
The conclusion is clear: that viewers want to be able to watch things as soon as possible and as easily as possible. Recent research revealed that 90 per cent of popular TV shows are now available legally on VOD. With Game of Thrones, Arrow and others available legally both within 24 hours of broadcast and cheaply, then, why does piracy continue to climb?
“The download numbers for the most popular shows continues to rise, sometimes exceeding the number of traditional viewers in the US,” notes TorrentFreak.
Alongside the apparent unwillingness to pay less than £10 a month for a Netflix subscription (Gotham), an Amazon Prime membership (Vikings, Arrow, Grey’s Anatomy and The Walking Dead) or a NOW package (The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Arrow, Grey’s Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother), there is certainly an element of habit in the behaviour. That habit, though, is only reinforced by lack of awareness – both among viewers and, equally importantly, among the media.
Piracy remains a crucial issue for creative industries, be it TV, movies, music or books. With journalists and industry professionals often streaming things illegitimately themselves, either due to a sense of entitlement or their own lack of awareness, the problem will not go away.
“In the US (the same is true with the UK and likely most other countries too) streaming requires an entire cable subscription just to watch one show! It’s literally practically impossible to be a cord cutter without simultaneously being a file sharer,” writes one commenter on TorrentFreak.
OIn the UK, though, Game of Thrones was available in March on NOW – and is available once again now. Nonetheless, the media continues to rebroadcast that same message, even though it is both out of date and incorrect, presenting piracy not only as a legitimate alternative, but seemingly as the only alternative.
“In the US the show is broadcast on HBO, which people have to pay to access. Similarly, in the UK viewers need a paid subscription to watch the show on Sky Atlantic,” reports The Independent.
“The fact that you need subscriptions to watch Game of Thrones on both sides of the Atlantic could account for the high level of piracy.”
It is natural for viewers faced with active conversations on Twitter and Facebook to want to join in that conversation. But if those reporting on TV for national newspapers, who make their living from TV, are not even up to speed with digital technology, how can anyone else be expected to watch things legally?
Top 10 most pirated shows of 2014
1. Game of Thrones
Downloads: 8.1m
Where can I watch Game of Thrones online?
2. The Walking Dead
Downloads: 4.8m
Where can I watch The Walking Dead online?
3. The Big Bang Theory
Downloads: 3.9m
Watch on blinkbox
4. How I Met Your Mother
Downloads: 3.5m
Watch on blinkbox
5. Gotham
Downloads: 3.2m
Watch on blinkbox
6. Arrow
Downloads: 2.90m
Watch on blinkbox
7. Grey’s Anatomy
Downloads: 2.8m
Watch on Amazon Prime
8. Vikings
Downloads: 2.7m
Watch on Amazon Prime
9. Suits
Downloads: 2.5m
Watch on Netflix UK
10. South Park
Downloads: 2.4m
Watch on iTunes
Photo: HBO