30-Plus Percent of U.S. Consumers Watch Pirated Content

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AMSTERDAM: Almost 40 percent of U.S. consumers are unconcerned about the financial cost of piracy to the media business, and nearly one-third admit to watching pirated content, according to a new survey from Irdeto.

The study from the digital platform security specialist, conducted by YouGov, found that 74 percent of U.S. consumers acknowledge that producing or sharing pirated video content is illegal, and 69 percent of respondents think that streaming or downloading pirated content is illegal. However, 32 percent said they do watch pirated content. “Content owners, movie studios and operators need to continue to introduce innovative product offerings as well as invest in additional content protection strategies to prevent pirates from stealing additional market share,” Irdeto said.

For 39 percent of consumers, knowledge of the negative impact of piracy on rights owners has no impact on how much pirated content they consume, and only 19 percent of respondents said that the financial damage caused by piracy would stop them from watching pirated content altogether.

In terms of the types of pirated content being consumed, there was an even split between series and current movies, at 24 percent each, followed by DVD and Blu-ray movies (18 percent), live sports (10 percent) and OTT original content (9 percent).

“The negative impact that piracy has on the content creation industry extends much further than lost revenue,” said Lawrence Low, VP of business development and sales at Irdeto. “Piracy deters content creators from investing in new content, impacting the creative process and providing consumers with less choice. It is becoming increasingly important for operators and movie studios to educate consumers on the tactics employed by pirates and to further promote innovative offerings that allow consumers to legally acquire content.”

“Education on the impact of piracy to consumers is an important element of an anti-piracy strategy,” said Rory O’Connor, VP of services at Irdeto. “It is important for content owners to educate themselves on the three elements of consumer choice when selecting a service: content, value and convenience. To avoid pirates stealing market share, content owners and operators need to make sure they are implementing a comprehensive, 360-degree anti-piracy strategy that includes watermarking, detection and enforcement.”