Piracy is now a major problem for the film and TV industry in Sweden.
According to figures recently published by Mediavision, illegal downloading and streaming of films and series have increased for the second year in a row, with the problem being particularly widespread in younger target groups.
A quarter of all Swedes aged 15–74 say that they have downloaded or illegally streamed films or TV series in the past month. That is considerably more than during the same period last year, when the corresponding share was 20%. The problem is particularly widespread in the younger target groups, with more than half of those aged 15-24-year-olds admitting to being pirates.
The same survey also shows that illegal IPTV is increasing. According to Mediavision, close to half a million households in Sweden have this type of pay-TV service via the internet, which provides illegal access to a large number of TV channels and streaming services.
Commenting on the issue, Natalia Borelius, senior analyst at Mediavision, said: “piracy is a major challenge for the industry. It is particularly noteworthy that piracy is increasing and reaching such high levels among the young. We also note that an increasing number of households have illegal IPTV. Both these factors point at a continued increase if no action is taken”.
