An online survey revealed that one of the main
motivations for users to watch anime content illegally ,
or so-called “piracy,” is that subscription services are too expensive. According
to an online survey of 988 American adults by news site CordCutting, a third of
respondents said they had viewed or downloaded pirated content in the past
year.
When asked why they accessed pirated content, the most
common reason was that they were only interested in certain shows or
movies and didn't see the value in subscription services . The second
most common reason was that subscription services were too expensive ,
with 35% of respondents choosing this option.
- I
was only interested in a specific show or movie, so it wasn't worth paying
for a subscription – 36%
- Streaming
services are very expensive – 35%
- Content
was not available through official channels in my region –
31%
- I
wanted to avoid seeing advertising – 17%
- I
wanted to see the content as soon as it was released, without waiting –
17%
The generation with the highest rate of access
to pirated content was 'Generation Z', those born after 1997. When
asked if they were accessing more pirated content compared to the previous
year, 54% said this was the case. Same, 11% said it was more and 35% said it
was less.
Many cited 'streaming services' as the reason, but
it is possible that these people were accessing pirated content before
streaming services became widely available. According to copyright
news site TorrentFreak, a similar survey conducted in 2017 showed that although
most people are willing to pay for streaming subscriptions, many also access
pirated content as a side effect.
A survey in the United Kingdom found that the
majority of consumers felt that subscription services were too expensive ,
and half said that pirating content was a valid alternative.
CordCutting said: “ Respondents suggested that
piracy could be reduced by making content cheaper, increasing awareness of the
harms of piracy and improving the ease of use of subscription services. Streaming
services could attract more users by offering a rental model like Amazon Prime
Video .
This survey raises important questions about access to anime
content and its impact on the industry. Piracy remains a significant
challenge for anime creators and distributors, and it is crucial to find
effective ways to address consumer concerns while protecting
intellectual property rights and supporting the anime industry.
Source: TorrentFreak