The worldwide content distribution industry - from traditional cable, telco and satellite TV providers to the growing number of direct-to-consumer (DTC) players - will go through a transformation phase in the coming years. As digital transformation and greater consumer choice take hold, existing offerings have to rush to keep up with new entrants, differentiating themselves to create a compelling offering for the consumer.
Part of that offering has and continues to be the range of content they give to consumers, and that has relied on partnerships with the content owners. However, as the owners, such as HBO and Disney launch their own services, they're increasingly reserving that content for themselves. Disney for example, has pulled its content from Netflix, encouraging consumers to sign up and get access its movies.
But with so many providers, consumers are forced to effectively create their own bundles - often at greater cost than if it was still available through one provider. For some this content stacking will simply be too expensive, and they will look for substitutes - including pirate services. The problem is that, until operators re-aggregate and re-bundle content and services that can be more cost-effective to the consumer, the issue will only get worse as consumers will just pick up their smartphones, search for what they want to watch and find illicit options.
And it's not just lone wolves, sharing with their friends. Commercial pirates pose a two-pronged threat of stealing the content and enticing subscribers away with cheap offerings that mimic legitimate pay-TV services. Usually found as apps on Android devices, or even on set-top boxes and smart TVs available to purchase in store, pirate services can look legitimate to the average user, making this the real competition as they steal the content for free while enticing subscribers away from legitimate services.
The problem doesn't lie with one type of content either, now that we are fully operating in a globally-connected consumer market, where the internet can be easily misused by pirates. But that doesn't mean it all has the same value, live and premium shows will obviously have greater value for consumers and therefore for the pirates too. Even free-to-air is at risk as, when stolen, pirates can remove advertising or time restrictions, all packaged in what appears to be a convenient service for subscribers.
According the 2019 Pay-TV Innovation Forum, industry executives estimate that 17 percent of households worldwide now use illegal TV services on a regular basis, up from 11 percent in 2017. This significant acceleration in pirate services consumption is driven by apps and devices that can give easy access to the so-called grey-market services, which creates a business risk for the whole content creation industry. Ultimately, it hurts the consumer too, as operators and content providers will have less finance to develop new shows.
And, like the open internet, piracy doesn't recognise country borders, meaning containing international distribution rights is also an issue. Saturday afternoon football distributed in the USA are re-streamed back to Europe and around the world - all for free. With live sports one of the most expensive and greatest revenue generators, such activities are a major thorn in operators' sides, and anyone around the world is potentially at risk of having their content stolen. And, with the growth of 5G, executives expect to see this trend continue according to the Global Market for Premium Sports OTT Services report. As content security specialists, we're seeing the growing trend of innovative pirate services stealing content and subscribers, and it's clear that content owners and distributors should be concerned. Not that security technology isn't used, but the new nature of pirate services is calling for a holistic response that goes beyond what has been done in the past.
For the casual pirates, a mix of hardware and software solutions, from encryption technology in chipsets, to an intelligence-based approach comprising of content watermarking, monitoring and taking down infringing services, can prove powerful deterrents.
For the more organised criminal groups stronger actions is required, focusing on a three-pronged, intelligence-based approach that focuses on:
Identifying and shutting down leaks using technologies such as watermarking, which adds an invisible digital signature' to the content that enables us to track any illegal redistribution
Monitoring streaming servers and removing any illegal services with the help of hosting companies
Disrupting pirate services through blocking access to specific servers needed by the pirates
From our experience, we believe that all stakeholders such as content owners, governments, service providers and consumer groups all have a part to play in addressing the piracy problem. Through challenging the pirates from multiple angles such as, investing in consumer education, legislation and anti-piracy technologies alongside creating smart packages of products which address consumer needs, should create a landscape which is increasingly difficult for pirates to operate.
We need to come together. Addressing the piracy challenge has now become an executive level issue for the technology, media and telecoms industries. It is no longer a question of asking should I do something? but am I doing the right thing? and is this being reviewed on a consistent basis that will ensure my business model is being preserved?
As we stated in a recent Newsweek article: All valuable content is at risk. Consumers want to have access to content, and if they cant, they just pick up their phones and search for it. Competing with free is just not sustainable.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
The worldwide content distribution industry - from traditional cable, telco and satellite TV providers to the growing number of direct-to-consumer (DTC) players - will go through a transformation phase in the coming years. As digital transformation and greater consumer choice take hold, existing offerings have to rush to keep up with new entrants, differentiating themselves to create a compelling offering for the consumer.
