Posted: 18th Feb, 2005 By: MarkJ
The latest research from Envisional finds that UK surfers, whom use the Internet to download TV shows illegally, have increased 150% in the last year. Such surfers now account for an estimated 18% of all such activity, with 70% using BitTorrent as their P2P tool of choice:
A typical episode of 24 was downloaded by about 100,000 people globally, said the report, and an estimated 20,000 of those were from within the UK.
Fans of many popular US TV programmes, like 24, usually have to wait weeks or months until the latest series is shown in the UK. But in some cases, said the report, people were able to watch the new episodes in Britain before US audiences on the west coast of the country.
Exact figures are difficult to pin down, but it is thought that about 80,000 to 100,000 people in the UK download TV programmes.Unsurprisingly broadband has helped the surge in piracy. Perhaps the industry should release TV shows over the Internet as well. Legalising music downloads certainly appeared to work. More @
BBC News Online.