2014 is coming to a close. Search engines and social networks have already presented their highlights, but this time we’ll look at what users downloaded most in terms of television. Logic suggests that none of these projects wants a place in the Top 10 of the most pirated series, yet BitTorrent users have spoken, and their message is clear.
Many believe television is dead. In reality, what is heading to oblivion is not the device, but the traditional means of delivery. Cable companies have lost millions of subscriptions in recent years, and their response, for lack of a better description, was lamentable. From applying throttling to competing services to mistreating customers who wish to cancel service, providers have made the worst possible decision in each case. If they think they can fight piracy with these techniques, the big names of the industry are terribly mistaken. Despite authorities managing to bring down sites like The Pirate Bay, downloading series through the BitTorrent network keeps breaking records. The year 2014 is flying by, and to close it, the portal TorrentFreak has presented the Top 10 of the most pirated series.
Occupying first place, and for the third consecutive year, the absolute ruler of the Top 10 is Game of Thrones. The popular HBO series obtained the “triple crown” with an advantage of 3.3 million downloads over the second place, adding up to a total of 8,100,000 downloads. The example of Game of Thrones is unique, since the number of downloads exceeds the number of viewers in the United States. This data was the main reason why HBO finally began working on an independent streaming service that will debut next year. Second place goes to The Walking Dead, with 4.8 million downloads. Rick Grimes and company still have the loyalty of their fans, although not in the way producers would like. The podium is closed by The Big Bang Theory. Personally, I am convinced that this sitcom died in its third season, but with 3.9 million downloads, there is not much room for discussion.
The rest of the list is made up of How I Met Your Mother, Gotham, Arrow, Grey’s Anatomy, Vikings, Suits, and South Park. The combo of Arrow and Gotham has allowed DC Comics to occupy an important place on television, and it is also necessary to highlight the success of Vikings, whose third season will premiere in February. In 2009, the people at Valve dropped a bomb: “Pirates are underserved customers.” Piracy is impossible to defend, but if companies continue their trend of putting up barriers instead of removing them, by 2015 we expect even larger numbers.
TorrentFreak
