Move over GoT, The Mandalorian was the most-pirated TV show of 2020

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Unless you’ve been living on a rock on Ahch-To, you’ll know that Disney’s The Mandalorian has been a runaway hit. So much so that it’s even leapfrogged Game of Thrones to become the most-pirated TV show of 2020.

That’s according to the yearly analysis from TorrentFreak, which is dedicated to news about filesharing, copyright, and privacy. The Mandalorian came in third last year, behind Chernobyl and Game of Thrones. The last season of Game of Thrones helped it keep the top spot for the seventh year running, a dubious accolade that Disney’s new darling would need six more seasons to reach.

The top three most pirated TV shows of 2020 were rounded out by The Boys, from Amazon, and Westworld, from HBO. It’s perhaps telling that all three came from different producers, with the fragmented landscape of the entertainment industry in 2020. HBO is the only traditional TV producer in the top three, showing how streaming services have come to dominate the market.

To watch all three legally, you’d need three different streaming subscriptions. That’s a large monthly cost on top of your usual bills, which could explain the popularity of pirated copies. They are just as popular with the online audience that subscribes to the paid services, so perhaps the rise in torrent popularity is in-line with the overall popularity of The Mandalorian, spurred by fan favorites like Boba Fett and the special guest from the last episode.

What do you think? Surprised The Mandalorian was the most-pirated show? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.