TorrentFreak released its annual ranking of the most pirated series of the year, with The Last of Us dethroning Game of Thrones.
At the end of every year, TorrentFreak takes a look at the most-downloaded TV shows among torrenting pirates.
For several years in a row, the list was headed by Game of Thrones but that reign came to an end after the series ended.
In the years that followed, Disney+ releases stepped in to fill the void, with Wandavision and The Mandalorian taking wins in 2020 and 2021 respectively. This takeover didn’t last, however, as HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon snatched the title last year.
With no dragon-themed series in the mix, it was hard to predict this year’s winner. However, the data leave little room for doubt. HBO’s The Last of Us is the most pirated TV show of 2023.
Competition for the remaining slots was fierce, with several Disney+ series in contention. The Mandalorian eventually settled for second place, one spot higher than Loki, with newcomer Ahsoka not far behind.
What stands out most is that video subscription service content dominates the top ten. With the current streaming landscape being so fragmented, it appears that many people prefer to pirate instead of paying for ‘another’ subscription.
Interestingly, Netflix releases are noticeably absent. Without speculating too much, it seems likely that Netflix users are less likely to give up their subscriptions, as it’s the dominant streaming platform in most parts of the world.
TorrentFreak notes that the chart is based on BitTorrent traffic, which represents a small portion of the piracy landscape. Most people use streaming sites and services nowadays, which generally do not report viewing stats.
