Wired recently discussed an interesting data point: despite the fact that the TV show Prison Break is available for free (legally) at Hulu and Fox.com, it was downloaded at least 1 million times via P2P networks.
And everyone is wondering why.
To add to the good points listed by Mike Masnik I’d like to point out that netizens outside of the US are unable to stream anything off of Hulu. Last month I discussed the legal aspects involving this same issue and the Olympics.
While I can’t give any hard numbers, nearly every expat I know uses some form of P2P to stay up-to-date with their favorite shows.
Why?
Because in most of East Asia there are only a couple of English-speaking channels: usually just CNN, Discovery Channel and a couple of movie channels. A few other stations will mix in a popular show like American Idol during the evenings, but this is the rare exception.
So, horror of horrors, you cannot watch Lost or Prison Break unless you either buy a satellite dish (and the operator might not offer the channel or package with your favorite shows) or download it off the net.
Speaking of which, to see this phenomenon in action, just look how popular Prison Break is on torrent networks.
And no, I’ve never watched it, primarily because the premise seems stupid.