Contrary to popular belief, the main users of
illegal streaming services are growing in age and income; the piracy streaming
epidemic is not restricted to the lower income group as a survey found that the
higher income group represents 43% – or the majority of users of illegal
streaming services, compared to 25% for the low income and 35% for mid-income
groups.
The findings came to light after Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition
Against Piracy (CAP) commissioned a survey conducted by YouGov.
The study also
revealed that 33% of Taiwanese consumers have accessed streaming piracy
websites or
torrent sites to access premium content without paying any subscription fees.
In addition, 28% of consumers use a set-top box which can be used to
stream pirated television and video content.
The
non-licensed set-top boxes, also known as Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs),
allow users to access hundreds of pirated television channels and
video-on-demand content, usually with a low annual subscription fee. The ISDs
often come pre-loaded with illegal applications allowing ‘plug-and-play’ access
to pirated content.
QBox, UBox and
EVPad remain the most popular illicit streaming devices purchased
by consumers.
Neil Gane, the general manager of AVIA’s CAP, commented: “Consumers
are funding crime groups as well as wasting their money when purchasing
illicit streaming devices, when they find their ISD can no longer access
live sports matches or their favourite TV shows.”
Among the consumers
who purchased the ISDs, half of them stated that they had cancelled all or some
of their subscription to legal pay-TV services.
Furthermore,
many of the consumers streaming pirated content are young. The survey found
that 47% are between18-24 year- olds and 61% are 25-34 year-olds used ISDs
or other apps/services to view entertainment content illegally.
Gane concluded: “The global content industry is now collaborating
to prevent and disrupt illegal feeds of live sports, TV channels, and
video-on-demand content through enforcement against the illicit IPTV operators
and blocking orders against piracy streaming websites and piracy
applications.
“ISDs can never provide quality programming and a ‘service
guarantee’, no matter what the seller may claim.”