Here’s an interesting little story. According to a new report, Heroes is the most illegally downloaded show of 2009. According to TorrentFreak, the number of downloads on BitTorrent – around 6,580,000 – exceeded the average viewership – an estimated 5,900,000 – on US television in 2009. It goes without saying that Lost is up there as well as Dexter.
It’s been widely reported and often sneered at that Heroes is losing viewers hand-over-fist. However, it now seems that it’s only losing viewers via traditional methods. While it’s true that viewing figures have been down massively from the first series, it seems that there is still an appetite for the show.
Of course, the thing that keeps TV shows in currency is the amount of money they make through either subscription or advertising. With Heroes currently flailing in both of those, it prompts the question about how to monetise illegal downloads.
Media is in flux at the moment as it tries to work out the best way of making money now that piracy has blown the whole thing wide open (whether it’s right or wrong is another debate entirely).
If someone worked out a way of making money in this new media landscape, would Heroes be deemed as worthless as it is right now in Hollywood and Tellyville? There’s been loud chatterings about the show getting dropped and it’s clearly been pushed to become more easy to access (rather than the brilliantly terse and twisting plots of series one)… but if the illegal download market could be monetised, then Heroes would be once again vital in the TV world.
So what’s the solution? Well, first thing to note is that you should never ask a TV critic. We’re good at reacting to things rather than fixing… but… that said, one idea could be a TV equivalent of Spotify (again, whether Spotify is ‘working’ is another argument entirely).
A TV Spotify could once again generate cash for beleaguered shows like Heroes who are clearly suffering from piracy more than, for example, Lost, which is making fast bucks on boxsets and the like.
As things stand, while Heroes has more illegal downloads than viewers, chances are it won’t be around for very much longer.
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From what I can see via Facebook etc, those who are torrenting Heroes are massively disappointed with it. I think a lot of people into Sci-Fi of this type want to preview it, then if it’s great buy it on DVD.
I think Heroes is suffering because it became poor, but if it’s free the fans can keep coming back to see if it ever restores itself to former glories. Clearly it hasn’t or they’d be selling the DVDs in droves.