Study Reveals Max’s Critically-Acclaimed Fantasy Series as the Most Pirated of 2024

Max‘s celebrated fantasy series claimed the title of the most pirated television show in 2024, as indicated by a recent analysis that highlights the extent of its downloads. The platform has featured a variety of prominent series in recent years, including well-loved HBO titles like Succession and Barry, alongside original productions such as Tokyo Vice and Peacemaker. Nevertheless, the immense popularity of these series has also contributed to much of their content being heavily targeted by pirates, consistently setting numerous records over the years.

In 2023, The Last of Us topped the list as the most pirated show, surpassing The Mandalorian, which previously held the title in both 2020 and 2021. The longest-standing record for the most pirated show was held by Game of Thrones prior to its conclusion, establishing HBO programs as a major target for piracy. Given its affiliation with HBO, it’s no surprise that Max continues to dominate the piracy charts annually, with 2024 being no exception.

House of the Dragon Season 2: 2024’s Most-Pirated Series

Other Noteworthy Long-Running Streaming Series

In 2024, House of the Dragon emerged as the most pirated television series of the year. As a prequel to Game of Thrones, it chronicles the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, which stretches across all of Westeros. The finale of season 2 drew an impressive 8.5 million viewers on HBO and Max, underscoring the series’ widespread acclaim beyond just its pirated status.

According to TorrentFreak, House of the Dragon season 2 was confirmed as the leading pirated television show of 2024, as measured by BitTorrent download activity. While this metric does not encapsulate the entirety of online piracy, it provides a reliable indicator of the series’ allure. The show outperformed other notable entries, such as The Boys season 4, which secured the number two position. Notably, all shows listed are streaming originals, with the exception of House of the Dragon, which aired concurrently on HBO and Max and remains classified as an HBO production.

Rank	Most Pirated TV Shows of 2024	Network/Streaming Service
1	House of the Dragon	HBO/Max
2	The Boys	Prime Video
3	Shōgun	Disney+/Hulu/FX
4	Arcane	Netflix
5	The Penguin	HBO/Max
6	Fallout	Prime Video
7	Reacher	Prime Video
8	Silo	Apple TV+
9	Dune: Prophecy	HBO/Max
10	Halo	Paramount+

Insights from House of the Dragon’s Piracy Trends

A Familiarity with Piracy

Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon — Custom image by Yeider Chacon

The significant piracy of House of the Dragon is not surprising, especially considering it was the top pirated series upon its debut in 2022. Given that Game of Thrones repeatedly held the title for the most pirated TV series during its original run, the continued trend for House of the Dragon is expected as new seasons roll out.

Looking ahead, the next addition to the Game of Thrones universe will be A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set to premiere on HBO in 2025. As piracy trends evolve, the ongoing popularity of these series demonstrates a complex relationship between viewership and unauthorized access.

Source: TorrentFreak

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