Although we all have Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and other services at home, there is an important part of the population that still chooses to watch series with the classic method: piracy and go.
Personally, piracy has become a hassle for me since streaming platforms arrived, which have more content than I could ever watch in three lifetimes. And paying for one or two services seems optimal to me to enjoy series and movies legally, supporting the creators and contributing to the growth of the audiovisual industry.
Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same. And today we are going to see which series have been the most downloaded via torrent this year. As you will see, there is not much surprise regarding the podium.
The most pirated series of 2023
While for several consecutive years, the list was topped by Game of Thrones, that reign came to an end when the series ended.
In the following years, Disney+ releases came in to fill the void, with Wandavision and The Mandalorian taking the victories in 2020 and 2021 respectively. However, this reign didn’t last long, as HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, took the title in 2022.
With no dragon-themed series, it was difficult to predict this year’s winner. However, the data leaves no room for doubt. The Last of Us, by HBO, is the most pirated series of 2023.
The competition for the remaining positions was fierce, with several Disney+ series in the running. The Mandalorian finally settled for second place, one spot above Loki, with newcomer “Ahsoka” not far behind.
What stands out the most is that the contents of video subscription services dominate the top ten positions. With the current fragmented streaming landscape, it seems that many people prefer to pirate instead of paying for “another” subscription.
Interestingly, Netflix releases are noticeably absent. Without speculating too much, it seems likely that Netflix users are less likely to cancel their subscriptions, as it is the dominant streaming platform in most of the world.
To conclude, we must point out that the graph is based on BitTorrent traffic, which represents a small part of the piracy landscape. Nowadays, most people use streaming sites and services, which usually do not report viewing statistics.
