Skip to main content

When it comes to piracy, Orange is the New Black is the new Game of Thrones

New data from Tru Optik, a digital media research firm, shows that Netflix’s original series Orange is the New Black has climbed to the third spot on the list of the most popular TV shows to pirate on file-sharing networks for Q2 2014. In fact, episodes of the show were downloaded from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks a total of 60.8 million times during the three-month period.

Related: Game of Thrones is still the most pirated TV show on air, by a long shot

Recommended Videos

The report – Digital Media Unmonetized Demand and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Report: First and Second Quarter 2014 – thoroughly picks apart the various forms of media obtained through P2P networks to determine which TV shows, movies, video games, and software are the most popular with online pirates. During Q2 this year, digital delinquents downloaded more than 2.5 billion movies from P2P sites, across 126.4 million unique IPs. Downloaders nabbed more than 2 billion TV show episodes during the same period, as well.

And while mainstays like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones predictably took the top two spots respectively for most downloaded shows, Netflix’s OITNB managed to slip into third place behind the two super-shows. The stats for the popular show about jailbird debutante Piper Chapman (based on Piper Kerman’s autobiographical novel of the same name) are especially telling since there are few ways to gauge the overall popularity of the show. Surprisingly there was no sign of Netflix’s other tent pole, House of Cards, at the top of the list.

While it would be easy to imagine that services like Netflix and HBO try to avoid giving away their valuable content for free, Tru Optik points out that the companies actually use piracy stats to gauge consumer interest. OITNB‘s success in the piracy realm is more proof that online streaming services such as Netflix are ready to compete with major powerhouses when it comes to creating valuable original content.

Alex Tretbar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…
Nothing Headphone 1 Review: A surprisingly good first-gen product
The ears and unique design on the Nothing Headphone 1 in white.

If you like unique technology, there’s a strong chance you’ve seen products from London-based Nothing. The company, co-founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has built a cult-like following with striking designs that were designed to stand out from the crowd. 

Nothing has made earbuds before, but the Headphone 1 is the company’s first foray into the world of over-ear headphones that Apple, Sony, and Bose normally dominate. In typical Nothing fashion, the Headphone 1 aims to provide ample sound in a strikingly different design at a price that still offers value for money.

Read more
You Asked: Large OLED vs. Huge QLED? Biggest QD-OLED TVs?
Chris answers your questions on OLED, LG G5 vs G2, and whether 77 inches is enough
You Asked Ep 98

On today’s episode of You Asked: Is there ever a reason to not get the best OLED panel available? How much of an upgrade is the LG G5 over the G2? And is a 77-inch OLED enough, or do you need to go even bigger?

Always buy the best OLED panel tech?

Read more
The best Prime Day audio deal I found comes from an unexpected brand
It doesn't get better than this in the audio segment, and certainly not at this discounted price.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C and MagSafe review

I test all kinds of audio gear around the year, and every time someone asks me about AirPods, I religiously suggest a few alternatives. It’s not because the AirPods are bad. Far from it, actually. It’s just that they are a little too pricey for what they offer, especially when it comes to the Pro model.

While they excel at noise cancellation and transparency, they can’t quite deliver the kind of rich audio when pitted against the likes of Sony’s WF-1000 and Sennheiser’s Momentum series earbuds. The margin, I'll add, is very small. Plus, terms like "price cut," "discounts," and "deals" don't often play well with Apple's premium reputation, so you rarely see them at a bargain point.

Read more