Piracy was on fire during the early days of the Internet, with many using P2P sharing services like Kazaa and Limewire to share movies and TV shows over the Internet. For many, especially those in niche fandoms like anime and professional wrestling, this was the only way of accessing certain content that is difficult to access. Soon after, torrent sites became the norm, allowing people to share larger samples of content over more secure and faster connections thanks to new software, along with an increase in the availability of Internet connections by cable and DSL. For many, piracy was a necessity, as securing these products legally was too expensive, too difficult, or both, especially for those in countries outside of the US Then came the original batch of streaming services.
Services like Netflix Y Hulu provided a wide variety of content in one place (and at a great price), making it easy to access content that was previously a difficult task to find. Hulu used to be the dream destination of adult animation fans as it was full of shows like Family man, South Park, Robot chicken and many, many more, while Netflix created a destination for workplace comedy fans like Parks and Recreation Y The office, or just those who wanted to see a movie on a random Saturday night.
The simplicity, quality, and abundance of content offered at an affordable price through streaming services made hacking the trickiest option for once. Fans of niche and mainstream content no longer had to go through 100 different torrents or filenames, then wait 4 hours to download a video, only for it to be a 480i resolution blur video that had no subtitles, for so he might not understand what he was seeing in some cases. You just logged into Netflix, clicked multiple times, and see what you wanted.
However, as more services began to emerge, the content expanded and the need for additional subscriptions began to become a reality. Suddenly you needed Netflix Peacock, Paramount +, Y HBO Max to watch the same shows you used to watch with a single Netflix account, and that doesn't account for niche services either. Could piracy come out of the shadows again as more services start piling up content?
In the short term, consumers are more than happy to continue paying for multiple services. According to a report published by Parks Associates in June 2021, 46 percent of US households with broadband-level Internet connections subscribe to four or more streaming services.. This more than doubles the 22 percent figure from last year and dwarfs the numbers from previous years. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic had a lot to do with the rising numbers, but why did those same people choose to subscribe rather than hack? The answer could lie in the increase in ad-supported options.
With less expensive options available to streaming fans who want to enjoy Paramount +, HBO Max, Peacock, or Hulu, viewers can now subscribe without worrying about multiple fees of $ 14.99 each month. Reports have found that viewers prefer ad-supported options and don't care about ads when they pay less per month. Overtime, the number of people willing to watch ads while airing has grown. An Ampere report shows that in the third quarter of 2018, 37% of consumers did not mind watching ads while watching shows or movies. In the first quarter of 2021, it jumped to 46%.
The best way to combat piracy is to make content affordable and accessible, which is what ad-supported options offer consumers. Streaming services, while ubiquitous, are also taking great strides to allow users of all backgrounds to consume their content. Some, like Peacock, have a free tier, while most have a less expensive tier with advertising to allow users who aren't comfortable paying $ 15 a month to access their shows and movies. While we have to be honest and admit that piracy will always prevail, streaming services are doing a good job of making content accessible to everyone and making piracy less convenient.
