The rise of Internet based distribution and content sharing platforms has caused tremendous shifts in how audiences consume media. “Over The Top” (OTT) TV viewing in the US has skyrocketed 336% in the past 3 years as distribution control shifts to the hands of the audience to decide how, when, and where they want to watch and how much (or little) they want to pay for it. 762k customers cut the cord from TV subscriptions in the first quarter of 2017 opting instead to consume media from the Internet. Meanwhile 300 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute and 100 million hours of video are watched every day on Facebook.
In addition to creating high quality content and optimizing delivery over multiple distribution channels, content creators must now also focus time and attention to protecting the copyrighted product from casual unauthorized file sharing as well as dedicated pirates, site operators, and release groups eager to make money off of illegal distribution. It’s an enormously complex and constantly evolving problem eating away at rights owners’ profit margins and can completely destroy a content creator as the problem is only getting worse. A 2017 study revealed that roughly half of millennials (53%) admit to enjoying piracy through illegal streaming platforms.
The Stream Enforcement team represents twenty-four years of content protection and anti-piracy experience for high-valued live and library content. We are leaders in this space driven to eliminate piracy at the source and limit damage of unauthorized distribution. We go well-beyond simple takedown notices; instead, building a holistic view with our partners of the piracy landscape including levers of vulnerability for enforcement action, prevention, and disruption strategies.