Cheating

Sorry for the distance between posts, just got back from a week long vacation.  I wanted to post this becasue I am always reading the smug comments on social media about people who don't pay for content and accuse anyone who does of being chumps.  They are, simply put, stealing.


‘CORD CHEATING’ WORSE THAN THOUGHT
According to new research from

The Diffusion Group (TDG), more than 20% of adult broadband users who stream video from an online subscription service are "cord cheaters"—consumers who access these services using the account name and password of someone that does not reside in their household. "While it is widely acknowledged that ‘cord cheating’ is occurring, few comprehend how widespread the behavior has become," said Michael Greeson, TDG Founder and Director of Research.

According to a TDG’s latest research, a sizable segment of online subscription video viewers live in households that are not paying to enjoy on-demand access to movies, TV programs, and a host of other high-value video content. Content providers are losing substantial revenue by not enforcing more restrictive authentication procedures.

Importantly, the rate of "cord cheating" varies dramatically among OTT SVOD services. For example, 20% of

Netflix streamers are guilty of using non-resident credentials, compared with only 10% of Amazon Prime streamers. Even Dish Network’s new Sling TV service is not immune to this behavior, with an astounding 26% of viewers reporting that they use the credentials of someone living outside their home.

"This behavior reflects the unfortunate mindset among
many of today’s media users that it’s perfectly acceptable to ‘share’ digital media—whether files or service access— among friends and family," notes Greeson.