How torrent sites make millions of dollars
After 2 days of site maintenance, the world’s second largest torrent site, ExtraTorrent shut down permanently.
New reports made by the Digital Citizens Alliance reveal how sites like ExtraTorrent make millions of dollars annually.
It’s no secret that advertising is responsible for most of online revenue and just because torrent sites pedal illegal downloads doesn’t mean advertisers shy away.
Major sites including ExtraTorrents, The Pirate Bay and KickAssTorrents made over $23 million in 2013 solely from advertisement.
Digital Citizens Alliance commissioned advisory firm MediaLink LLC to determine the amounts. The firm undertook a research project focused on the pirating ecosystem’s revenues and profitability.
Focusing only on data from 2013, Digital Citizens Alliance focused on 596 sites in four categories:
- BitTorrent and Other P2P Portals
- Linking Sites
- Video Streaming Host Sites
- Direct Download (DDL) Sites
For more info check the full article.
So many pirates in the sea
Law enforcement is cracking down as site by site is being shut down with their founders either in jail, co-operating with the police or disappearing into wireless air.
READ: Pirate Bay offered to work with the police
READ: Kickass Torrents founder arrested in Poland
READ: What.cd music torrent tracker shuts down
The problem is that once one site gets shut down, 5 more spring up.
The world has now gotten a taste of free material and has seen how it’s done so this Pandora’s Box is definitely not closing soon, unless they stop the internet.
Fans quickly jump to create clone sites but the millions who visit complain of malicious software and viruses.
Recently The Pirate Bay has taken strain due to the influx of ExtraTorrent users looking for a new home.
Over 40% of new users are from India, one of the largest supporters of ExtraTorrent.
As we see the shutdown of all these popular piracy sites it seems as though law enforcement has the upper hand.
Then again in the algorithmic web of the internet it’s a game of whack-a-mole regarding torrent sites.
