HOUSTON — Streaming services are a game changer when it comes to having instant access to content.
According to Forbes, 78 percent of all U.S. households subscribe to at least one or more streaming services, with Netflix dominating the market. But just because you pay a fee every month doesn’t mean you get to watch whatever you want when you want. And that’s why we are seeing an increase in an age-old crime -- piracy.
According to the British-based data company MUSO, film piracy increased by close to 40 percent in 2022, compared to the year before. Some of this can be blamed on the pandemic, when people were trapped in their homes they were looking for stuff to watch.
But MUSO discovered an interesting statistic -- streaming pirates were more likely to also pay for one or more streaming service.
So why are people willing to break the law when they are also willing to pay? Experts blame fragmentation in the market; basically, there are too many streaming services, each offering its own exclusive content.
There is no one-stop shop for all your shows, unless of course you go to piracy site.
Also, the legal sites have been raising prices and cracking down on password sharing, pushing some users to break the law.