Florence awaits, but all I want is to rewatch Medici. The 2016 historical drama series about the rise of the powerful Florentine banking dynasty and the story of the Renaissance can still be found on Netflix, but only by purchasing each season separately. This new reality has led some to revisit piracy.
For my teenage self in the 00s, torrenting was normal. But as smartphones proliferated, so did Spotify, making music streaming a viable alternative. When Netflix launched in Sweden in 2012, talk of torrenting stopped. However, with prices rising and services becoming less user-friendly, piracy has resurfaced.
A study found that 25% of people in Sweden reported pirating in 2024, mainly driven by those aged 15-24. The crisis in streaming is partly due to the fragmentation of content, throttled bitrates, and increased advertising. Studios’ tactics, such as regional restrictions and tolls, have created artificial scarcity in a digital world that promised abundance.
The Medici’s value on access and interoperability may hold the key for studios to survive the streaming storm. The co-founder of Valve notes, “Piracy is not a pricing issue; it’s a service issue.” As streaming services fracture into feudal territories, more viewers are turning to piracy as a means of accessing content. It’s no longer about rebellion or resignation but about finding alternative solutions in a complex and ever-changing landscape.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/14/cant-pay-wont-pay-impoverished-streaming-services-are-driving-viewers-back-to-piracy