LOST: The Most Popular TV-Show on BitTorrent
Written by Ernesto on November 02, 2006An average episode of the hit series LOST is downloaded more than 500,000 times on BitTorrent, making it by far the most popular TV-show shared over the Internet, and one with approximately 5% of all its viewers watching via BitTorrent.
Determining what the most popular TV show is on BitTorrent is not an easy job. While companies like Infofilter and BigChampagne generate daily and weekly stats, I’ve found out that these are not really accurate. Both companies use an automated stats collecting procedure which obviously needs some further calibration.
So I spent a week tracking the most popular TV torrents, and LOST came out on top.
For every popular TV-show I’ve summed up all the torrents with 100+ seeds one week after the release. Initially I also planned to count torrents with less seeds, but that didn’t add much to the total number of downloads. However, it does mean that the actual figures might be slightly higher (about 5%).
These stats are from public trackers only, so the actual number of downloads is actually a lot higher (nearing 1 million downloads). However counting public trackers only will give a good impression of what the most popular TV torrents are.
This is the top 3 of last weeks most popular TV torrents).
Eztv’s “Lost S03E04 HDTV XviD-XOR” torrent was by far the most popular, and was downloaded more than 270,000 times.
The higher quality release (hr.hdtv) is becoming more and more popular and was downloaded 60,000 times. Hr.hdtv releases have a higher resolution, most often around 960×540 which is half the size of the original HDTV broadcast. A 45 minute show is usually 700MB instead of 350MB like the other releases.
Other shows that are worth mentioning are: Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Desperate Housewives, South Park, Weeds, Jericho and Nip Tuck.
You could see this as the rest of the top 10. However, it is harder to make an accurate list as the total number of downloads decreases.
The popularity of online TV distribution has not been unnoticed. Apple’s iTunes store sold over 45 million TV shows in its first year, and more and more content distributors are currently exploring ways to sell their shows online. And I’m sure we will see a decline in illegal downloads as soon as they come up with a product that can compete with the “illegal” TV torrents.
Previously: Limewire now supports BitTorrent downloads
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52 Responses
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TV torrents are illegal too?
I don’t have Comedy Central, and I’m sure as fuck not going to wait 2 years for the South Park DVD comes out. As for The Simpsons, aren’t they 10 years behind on the DVD’s or something?
Prison break kicks ass.
Awesome roundup Ernesto. Very interesting indeed.
lets wait on season 6 of 24, I am sure it can beat lost ;)
This is indeed amazing, I’m in France so I can’t see LOST. It’s broadcast on Wednesday and I download it on Thursday when I wake up :)
I’ve noticed that too, no other show is as popular. Sometimes people upload the torrent, four or five times to the same trackers. It all goes crazy the day after it airs.
Besides Haruhi Suzumiya (anime), it’s the only show I download.
I’m from Portugal and Season 1 is occasionally transmitted on RTP1. Although it’s on at weekends, they just find a slot and put it there.
I don’t bother watching TV anymore.
This figures r exagrated. Dont know wats the purpose of giving stats of such stuff . Are you telling MPAA come hit us ? we r the problem ?
Please Dont give out any kinda figures atleast in public creating false impression of p2p community hurting some1s profits by a lot.
500,000 is a figure that will send alarm bells to copyright authourities & normal users.
- Peace -
wow… the person above me has a very thin grasp on reality.
I sort of feel sorry for him
y the hell does everyone watch such a gay show like prisen brake. its imposible to brake out of a prizen nowadays anyway. its an unrealistic peace of shit show.
p.s.
lost is the best show i have ever seeen
Yikes!!! I wish some of the posters could learn to spell!! I don’t think parents should let their 5 yr olds watch “prizen brake” or lost!
btw.. it’s PRISON BREAK
You are an asshole, Prison Break is great
That dude (jibreel) up there states - prisen brake is an unrealistic peace of shit show. lost is the best show i have ever seeen. -
Holy crap, what planet is he from, Lost, ya, that’s some reality that one. Your mother drop you on your head when younger?
I just use http://oliv3r.net to watch lost, i find its quicker and easyer
lost is amazing serial i have never seen
Yes, we each have different taste and opinions and do not need to debase others for their choices. Unless it is hurting or harming someone else. I do not watch Lost but am sure it is a great series. I prefer ‘Prison Break’ and CSI and the likes.
Yes it would be nice for people to learn to spell better. I mean you are sitting there at your computer and an online dictionary is just a click away. How lazy have some of us become?? ‘jibreel’?
So Respect to all and as an overseas worker, just hope that things stay free for us.
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