I suppose you would have to consider it a compliment to be amongst Torrent-Freak’s Most Pirated Shows of 2011. Two HBO programs stole the #2 and #8 spots on this year’s list which is compiled each year by the torrent news site. Game of Thrones came in just behind ShoTime’s Dexter with 3.4 million downloads while True Blood took 9th place with 1.9 million downloads.
Overall, the pirating of television programs via Torrent networks has gone down due in large part to companies such as HBO allowing their content to be distributed online legally ala HBO Go and other outlets. Some piraters are motivated by a lack of availability in their country of residence while others simply can’t wait for a proper release on DVD or Blu-Ray. Either way viewers just can’t do without their HBO. Here’s the entire list:
Have you ever downloaded an HBO show? What were your reasons? Is it easier to get HBO content these days or are you still forced to pirate your shows? Do you try to Download Game of Thrones Torrents? Tell us how you download HBO Shows like Game of Thrones. Leave a comment below… We promise we won’t rat you out!
14 comments
You want to stop piracy then let the world see it when it’s released.. Stop the BS and wake up, just because your big doesn’t save you from being stupid..
I live in Mexico and cannot legally see HBO series. I would gladly pay to download episodes of my favorite HBO series (pretty much all of them). Tell me how to pay and I will do it!
If watching the series legally online (on a reasonable price) would be possible, I would. As of now, it is not (I live in Europe, but in my understanding it is not possible in US either). So, I have to download pirated versions. Blame yourself.
I don’t watch anything from tv (meaning at the some fixed time). So, although your series are on local tv, it does not help. Make them available online!
Do you guys use Torrents or Direct Downloads or what? Just trying to get a feel for how people Download Game of Thrones, True Blood etc.
Ive downloaded most of season 1 for 2 main reasons. I am too scatter brained to remember to watch a show when it comes out immediately and because my stupid Uverse is too sketchy to count on. It was easier to just download the episodes and stream them to my TV than to be 30 minutes into one and have it start stuttering and then die. It also alot easier to pull up episodes on my NAS than to use the VOD systems of either comcast or Uverse.
That being said I have purchased both Dead Wood the complete series and Rome complete on Bluray to atone for my sins.
I also had to pirate your show because there is no legal possibility to watch Game of Thrones in Germany. And with everyone talking about it on the internet and me being a huge fan of the books I simply do not want to wait for the DVDs to come out. I will probably buy those though.
I pirate the show because Timer Warner Cable doesn’t allow me to sign up for/use HBO Go. I subscribe to HBO already, so HBO isn’t losing any money on me, but I find it ridiculous that I STILL cannot use or even try out this awesome HBO feature (one that I’m technically already paying for, no less) because HBO and TWC can’t come to some sort of agreement.
What gives?
I pay for HBO and Showtime when I feel like watching what they have to offer. When I was in college I did my share of downloading. However, almost everything I downloaded I bought legitimately via DVDs or Amazon On Demand or rented/watched online through Netflix, Hulu, On Demand, etc. The downside to downloading is viruses and spyware, which can ruin your computer. These days it is pretty easy to find what you want to watch through legitimate means without hurting your pocketbook too much.
Anyone else notice that True Blood was 9th, not 8th as the article said?
Fixed. Thanks for the heads up!
I pay for HBO and Showtime. I use HBO Go as well. I also pirated Game of Thrones S1. But, I’ve also have already pre-ordered the BluRay box set. I really liked the show and just want to be able to watch it whenever I want, and I feel like I’ve paid for the right to already.
I have downloaded Game of Thrones and The Wire. The latter has never been aired in my country and going on form, neither will GoT. When Band of Brothers was aired here it was 3 years late, had a 10pm timeslot and had scenes deleted to make way for more ads.
I do however own the complete box set of The Wire/BoB and plan on purchasing GoT DVDs when they are released here.
For myself, “pirating” your shows is a necessity. I hope that later purchasing the shows I love goes some way to encourage you to make more.
Yes, I have pirated lots of HBO-shows. Why? Because I live in a country where your shows are at least a year late. I always buy the boxset when it comes out, though.
Same here, and by the time it airs wear we live there is leaks and all sorts about what happens so would rather watch it then and then or at least pay to download it