Audiovisual piracy declines but still costs industry €2.3 billion
Executive summary: Audiovisual piracy has decreased but still causes an estimated €2.3 billion in losses to the media and entertainment sector. These losses affect revenues of studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms and sports organizations, prompting continued investment in anti‑piracy measures and potential regulatory action.
Who is involved: Content producers, distributors, streaming services, sports leagues, anti‑piracy agencies and policymakers.
Likely next: Industry may step up watermarking and legal actions, while governments consider stricter copyright enforcement and funding for enforcement bodies.
The latest data show a reduction in audiovisual piracy activities, yet the estimated losses remain high at €2.3 billion. Cinema operators, television broadcasters, streaming services and sports rights holders continue to suffer revenue shortfalls despite anti‑piracy campaigns. The persistence of the loss gap suggests that current enforcement measures are insufficient to fully curb illegal consumption.
What's next — scenarios
The Enforcement Plateau (50%)
Existing anti-piracy investments yield diminishing returns, forcing a shift from litigation to platform-side technological barriers.
- Stable piracy loss figures in next annual report
- Stagnation in legal subscription growth rates
The Regulatory Breakthrough (25%)
Stricter ISP-level blocking mandates significantly increase the cost of piracy, restoring margins for broadcasters.
- New EU-wide legislation on real-time domain blocking
- Major court ruling against IPTV hosting providers
The Disruption Surge (25%)
Technological shifts (e.g., decentralized streaming or AI-driven bypasses) render current enforcement obsolete, accelerating revenue erosion.
- Rapid rise in decentralized peer-to-peer streaming traffic
- Large-scale breach of major streaming platform DRM
What to watch
- Quarterly revenue reports from major broadcasters (next 60 days)
- Implementation timelines for new EU copyright enforcement directives (next 90 days)
- Market share data of IPTV services vs. legitimate SVOD providers (next 30-60 days)
Timeline
- — Meno pirati, ma il conto resta salato: 2,3 miliardi bruciati dagli illeciti (Il Sole 24 Ore — Economia)
Analysis — what this means
Sectors affected
- Media and entertainment
- Broadcasting
- Streaming platforms
- Sports broadcasting
Regulatory implications
- Increased budget for national anti‑piracy units
- Review of safe‑harbor provisions for hosting providers
Historical parallels
- Music industry’s piracy decline after streaming adoption in the 2010s
- Film sector’s losses during the DVD‑ripping peak circa 2008‑2012
- Software piracy trends following the rise of cloud‑based licensing
Sources
- Meno pirati, ma il conto resta salato: 2,3 miliardi bruciati dagli illeciti — Il Sole 24 Ore — Economia