Britons caught illegally streaming can face huge fines and even a prison sentence, yet 92% who do aren’t worried about getting caught. Kodi, websites online and torrents are the top ways to illegally stream, with Britons continuing to do so in order to have access to films and TV shows not yet readily available in the UK or to watch something without having to pay for it.
Photo: PA
The team behind money-saving website www.MoneySavingHeroes.co.uk conducted the research as part of an ongoing study into the subscriptions that Britons’ favour.
Initially, when asked what TV, film or music subscriptions they had access to, almost half stated that they had Netflix, almost two-fifths had access to Now TV and just over a third said that they have Amazon Prime. What’s more, 32% have access to a paid-for Spotify account, while a further 38% have access to a free Spotify account. The average Briton has access to at least two accounts, whether they’re paying for them or not.
Of those with access to the subscription services, just one in three admit that they pay for the account they have access to, whilst the other two thirds don’t - instead using an account that’s paid for by someone else. The most common account holders were ‘my partner’, ‘a friend’ and ‘my housemate’.
Furthermore, one in five admitted that along with access to these subscriptions, they still continue to download or stream TV shows, music or films illegally. The most common ways to illegally stream or download were found to be ‘using Kodi’, ‘using various online websites’ and ‘using a torrent’.
The top reasons for streaming or downloading illegally were found to be:
- I can gain access to films and TV shows not yet available in the UK - 82%
- I can gain access to films currently still in the cinema - 59%
- I don’t want to pay to watch/listen to something I can get for free - 52%
- There’s a much wider range of content available - 46%
- Can watch films or TV shows anywhere - 31%
Finally, asked if they were worried about getting into trouble by illegally downloading and streaming, 92% admitted this was not something they were worried about.
George Charles, spokesperson for www.MoneySavingHeroes.co.uk, commented:
“Streaming something illegally can land you in a lot of trouble, but aside from that it also leaves companies and artists out of pocket. With subscriptions such as Netflix and Amazon Prime offering a free one-month trial, Now TV offering a seven-day free trial and Spotify offering family plans and student deals, it’s more than fair to see what legal streaming sites have to offer instead of going down the illegal route. What’s more, the companies that are listed above don’t have fixed contracts, so consumers can be flexible and aren’t tied in.”
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