A new Broadband Genie study found that the number of viewers using illegal sources to watch streaming movies and shows could double as consumers become increasingly frustrated with the growing number of subscription services.
The firm surveyed British streaming users to find that nearly a fifth (18%) had admitted to accessing TV shows and movies through unauthorized streaming or file-sharing sites. However, this number could reach 37% if the market continues to fragment into different services.
The video streaming market has become very competitive as new players like Apple and Disney prepare to launch their own streaming service in November. For now, Netflix remains the most popular streaming service, but its subscribers could suffer as it loses popular shows and movies to the benefit of rivals.
If consumers want to keep watching their favorite content and the latest hits, they must subscribe to an increasing number of subscription services. However, the Broadband Genie survey found that more than two-thirds (67%) of consumers had already dropped while paying too much.
Streaming services
The survey found that most people currently pay up to € 15 per month for streaming services, but prefer to spend up to € 10.
Interviewees said the biggest cost of streaming was cost, but they also expressed frustration with where to watch specific shows or movies and having to use different apps.
One possible solution to reduce streaming costs is to access content illegally, and the majority (60%) of respondents considering this option stated that they would invest the money saved in a VPN subscription. A VPN would allow them to hide their identity and view content from different regions, generally at a cheaper monthly price than most streaming services.
Ernesto van der Sar of TorrentFreak explained why consumers are turning to streaming piracy, saying:
"As more and more legal services offer exclusive versions, it is more difficult for people to get everything they want from one place to another. Instead of subscribing to paid subscriptions for a handful of services, which can go beyond budget , some people resort to piracy. These people still pay for legal services, but they use piracy services to watch movies and TV shows that are otherwise only available on services they don't have access to. "