Users Refuse to Pay for Streaming Subscriptions, 10,000 People Left Unemployed

The abundance of video streaming services does not mean everyone is willing to subscribe. In fact, many remain loyal to illegal streaming platforms.

This trend is clearly detrimental to the official streaming industry. In the United Kingdom, illegal streaming is recorded to cost the local sports, television, and film industries approximately £1.4 billion (Rp33.5 trillion) per year.

The largest losses are experienced by live sports broadcasts. A report supported by Sky, BBC, the Premier League, Formula 1, and the City of London Police notes losses of up to £700 million (Rp16.7 trillion), while film and TV piracy accounts for £653 million (Rp15.6 trillion).

The report also calculates that the impact of illegal streaming is equivalent to the loss of around 10,400 jobs across various industries, alongside a loss of £366 million in tax revenue annually.

The UK has also recorded a high number of illegal streaming users. The same report found that one in three adults in the country has used illegal streaming services within the last three months.

With approximately 16.8 million adults recorded in the country, nearly 9 out of 10 are active pirates of film and television streaming, while illegal sports streaming affects 3 out of every 5 users, according to Traders Union.

Sir John Whittingdale, Member of Parliament and chair of the cross-party parliamentary group for intellectual property, stated that these findings should serve as a warning. He also warned that the theft of intellectual property and illegal streaming represent a serious threat that requires immediate action.

The BeStreamWise group has called on the government to collaborate with the industry to combat piracy by making access more difficult and reducing the availability of illegal content in the UK.