As we approach another pay cycle and the mad rush of debtors to my account, I can’t help but cringe at the thought of the various subscriptions I pay all going off at once. Let me state outright that I am incredibly privileged to be able to have an internet connection and the ability to pay for the entertainment platforms I enjoy. However, the fact that prices are trending upward and content is lacking has me constantly toying with the idea of returning to piracy.

To set the tone, these are the subscription services I currently pay for:

This is – ironically – less than I was paying up until February when I cancelled both Spotify and Showmax. The former because YouTube Music and YouTube Premium is one, cheaper product and the latter because, well, it got worse with Showmax 2.0.

One would think that three on-demand streaming platforms would cover most of what I want to watch but sadly, that isn’t the case. As you may be well aware, in the late 2010s, everybody and their mouse was launching a streaming platform which led to content being wrestled back from the likes of Netflix.

While the likes of Disney and HBO enjoyed a modicum of success in the streaming space, it became all to clear that the sheer amount of subscriptions folks were being asked to pay was too much. Many warned that this would end in tears for the streaming platform but none listened.

Now, as subscribers feel the pinch, many are turning to piracy. Research conducted in the UK found that visits to piracy sites increased from 104 billion in 2020 to 127 billion in 2023. Furthermore, 80 percent of online piracy is attributed to illegal streaming services.

What this tells us, unequivocally, is that folks are fed up with paying as much as they are for content and will stream it where they can find it, even if that means turning to less-than-legal solutions. The friction of streaming has also been amplified given that the likes of Netflix, Disney and other platforms have cracked down on account sharing.

Aside from that, geo-blocking stops many users from accessing content that exists on a platform but isn’t accessible because licensing costs haven’t been paid.

The cost, content cuts and account restrictions make using these services far more difficult than if one were to just visit a pirate streaming service, and hit play for free.

There is also the matter of aggregate services such as one that rhymes with ShyCamellyFinema which offers access to a range of content for a fee far lower than what we’re paying for a bevy of services. While we don’t condone use of this platform, it’s an IPTV service which is illegal in South Africa, we also can’t deny that the offer is attractive for many South Africans who are counting cents every month.

Aside from streaming, folks can now just download a movie in seconds thanks to the ubiquity of high-speed broadband, 4G and 5G. With a few gigs of data and a VPN, you could download entire seasons of a show before your bus arrives and then that content is always available.

We mention this because Warner Bros. Discovery has a habit of removing content from existence with little to no warning.

We need a change

Obvious as it may be to some, this state of affairs can’t continue. Not only does piracy hurt the platforms, it harms the creators who use those platforms. Hard as it may be to stomach, Netflix did a great job luring folks away from piracy.

As Valve founder Gabe Newell famously said, “We think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate’s service is more valuable.”

Adapting that to the streaming conversation, if a pirate offers wider access, more affordably, without catches, the pirate’s service is going to be more attractive, and it already is.

Sure, there is a risk of getting caught pirating but slap on a VPN – pick any from the multiple brands advertising on YouTube – and you’re safe enough to stream that movie or series you couldn’t find on Netflix.

My concern however, is that it’s too late for streaming platforms to solve this problem purely because there are too many of them. However, it’s my opinion that decision-makers are too pigheaded to recognise how much they have damaged this sector and they will continue to chase growth as if all eight billion humans are able to and want to subscribe to their platform.

In all honesty the only solution I see is for Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Disney and all other platform operators to come together and collate their catalogues. Essentially, the streaming video market needs a Spotify, an independent platform that houses a variety of content in one location.

Will that ever happen? There doesn’t seem to be much of a choice right now because if platform operators don’t change quickly, the pirates will win.

[Image – Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay]