The “Privacy + Piracy” survey from HUB Entertainment Research found that 38% of consumers are video pirates, but also that 94% of those consumers would consider legal distribution channels. The study was conducted among 2,500 U.S. consumers age 16-74.
More than 40% of that 94% would pay for legal content even if it cost more. About two thirds of that 38% accessed pirate content in the past six months. HUB classifies that two thirds as active pirates.
Password sharing
HUB says that about the same percentage of consumers share passwords with people outside their households as use passwords obtained from persons outside their households; 35% and 39% respectively.
Privacy concerns
71% of consumers are aware that smart TVs collect viewing data, and 61% are not comfortable with the collection and use of viewing patterns by advertisers for use in addressible advertising, as shown in the following diagram
Access the synopsis at HUB Entertainment Research
Read further reporting at TV Technology
Why it matters
HUB’s findings reinforce the findings of studies of pirate video viewing by consumers in other countries, including the Phillippines, Australia, Italy and elsewhere. A high percentage of consumers use infringing services, and disincentives to piracy are often after the fact, when consumers are hit with malware attacks.
