How much do pirates pay for corn? A buck-an-ear! How much do they pay for streaming services? Uh, they don’t.
On a recent Friday podcast, Andrew mentioned all the services he subscribes to to watch football. A reader sent a note with a suggestion: “Just watch on an illegal streaming site. Oh, and be careful what you click.”
Streaming service costs are increasing by the minute, and more folks are turning to illegal downloads. I’m all for saving money, but that is not the way. Let’s dive into how expensive things have gotten and better ideas than riding the stormy seas of stolen content.
Rising tides
Today, half of the major streaming platforms cost twice as much as they did when they hit the market. Sorry, sports fans, ESPN+ has jacked up its price by 120% since it launched.
Just last week, Apple TV+ raised its monthly subscription from $6.99 to $9.99. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Netflix all took their prices up a notch in October.
Oh, and Amazon Prime customers now have to pay an extra three bucks a month to avoid ads … that weren’t originally there. Netflix charges extra to share passwords. Want to watch Max in 4K? That’s now extra, too. Sheesh.
Abandon ship
Piracy is making a comeback and it costs the U.S. economy at least $29 billion in lost revenue each year. Yep, billion with a B.
One study found that piracy through streaming sites increased by 16% in 2021 compared to 2020. Researchers blame the uptick partly on the pandemic forcing everyone to stay home, but price increases play a part, too.
The trend continues. Illegal streaming and downloading of films and TV shows make up the most significant portion of global piracy statistics. In 2023, it accounted for 24% of the global bandwidth.
Music piracy used to be a wildfire. If you were a Napster user, it’s probably time for an under-eye cream. However, the flames were put out once platforms like Spotify and Apple Music became more affordable than purchasing actual albums and singles.
It seems like video streaming services are going backward. With all their nickel and diming, it’s no wonder people are looking for loopholes.
Don’t walk the plank
Piracy isn’t just illegal. It’s bad for your privacy and security. Hackers often use pirated content to spread viruses and malware. The risk just isn’t worth it.
To catch a flick at home without breaking the bank, try these hacks:
- If you can deal with commercials, opt for a streaming service’s basic plan.
- Ditch any streaming services you don’t use regularly. You can always pick them back up.
- Take advantage of free trials. Set a reminder to cancel before you’re billed.
- Check out free movie and TV streaming services.
- Invest in an HDTV antenna to watch broadcast TV.
📺 Here’s a shortcut to find where your favorites are streaming.