The fractured streaming market is failing to deliver even the basics such as decent content, fair pricing and reliable access. and viewers are heading back to piracy on the high seas in increasing numbers.
Once thought to be sunk, piracy has bounced back thanks to illegal streaming platforms picking up the slack left by studios more interested in building walled gardens, and serving advertising than customers.
According to London-based piracy monitoring outfit MUSO, unlicensed streaming now accounts for 96 per cent of all TV and film piracy. Piracy had dropped to 130 billion website visits in 2020, but that figure jumped to 216 billion in 2024. In Sweden, a quarter of people polled admitted to pirating content last year, mostly among the 15 to 24 age group.
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said in 2011. “ Piracy is not a pricing issue, it’s a service issue.” It’s taken more than a decade, but studios have done a stellar job proving him right.
According the the Guardian the problem is “enshittification” of streaming where platforms degrade their services and ultimately die in the pursuit of profit. Netflix now costs upwards of £15, and you need more subscriptions to watch the same shows you used to find in one place.
Most platforms now offer plans that, despite the fee, force advertisements on subscribers. Regional restrictions often compel users to use VPNs to access the full selection of available content. The average European household now spends close to €700 a year on three or more VOD subscriptions. People pay more and get less.
With content split across too many platforms, costs rising and even streaming quality throttled depending on which browser you use, more viewers are finding it easier to stick up a skull and crossbones. Studios continue to gate off their content, charge increasingly daft amounts for it and act surprised when punters walk away.
The streaming world promised convenience and abundance but has delivered inconvenience and artificial scarcity. Whether it’s rebellion or just pure frustration, piracy is back and no longer skulking in the shadows.
