Despite the rise of streaming services like Disney+ and others, illegal piracy websites are drawing even larger audiences. A recent analysis by TorrentFreak indicates that one particular anime piracy site has garnered more monthly traffic than some of the most well-known legal streaming platforms globally.
In the United States, piracy website HiAnime.to has exceeded Disney+ in terms of user visits, with numbers continuing to climb. This trend of rising traffic to illegal streaming services is alarming animation studios, prompting them to collaborate with search engines, anti-piracy organizations, and governmental bodies to combat the issue.
HiAnime.to Surpasses Disney+, Peacock, and GitHub in Monthly Visitors
Record Traffic of Over 300 Million Monthly Visits in 2024
HiAnime.to, which offers a wide array of anime, from obscure titles to blockbuster hits like Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, has witnessed unprecedented growth in 2024. In November alone, the site recorded an astounding 331.6 million visits, outpacing Crunchyroll, the leading legal anime streaming service by over three times in terms of traffic. This shift highlights a significant trend: many viewers are turning to illegal streaming alternatives instead of subscribing to paid services.
In addition to outpacing Disney+, HiAnime.to has also surpassed major platforms like Peacock TV and GitHub, ranking just below Xfinity and Hulu. This remarkable surge underscores the growing issue of content piracy, with around 40% of HiAnime.to’s traffic originating from the U.S. within the 18 to 24 age demographic, indicating a youthful audience engaging with pirated content.
The Rebranding of Piracy Websites Allows for Prolonged Operation
The Case of 9anime Transitioning to Aniwave
While authorities have not taken immediate steps to shut down HiAnime.to, major players in the industry are preparing countermeasures against piracy. Recently, Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) successfully shut down Rine.cloud, a previously popular piracy website in Brazil that attracted 2.74 million visits monthly. This operation was spearheaded by leading animation studios including Toei Animation and Bandai Namco Filmworks, showcasing their commitment to combating piracy.
TorrentFreak highlights that the challenge of completely eliminating these piracy sites is daunting. Often, when an illegal streaming platform is shut down, it re-emerges under a new domain. This tactic allows piracy websites to evade legal scrutiny and continue their operations. A prime example is 9anime, which rebranded as Aniwave before ultimately shutting down, taking advantage of a name change to prolong its existence.
Animation Giants Like Viz Media and Toei Animation are Battling Piracy
Persistence of Anti-Piracy Initiatives Amid Ongoing Piracy
Anti-piracy organizations, particularly the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), continue to play a vital role in the fight against digital piracy. Their ongoing efforts include tracking the evolving journey of illegal sites like HiAnime.to, which originated as Zoro.to before being rebranded multiple times. After being shut down again as Aniwatch, the site transitioned to its current form, HiAnime.to, highlighting the cyclical nature of piracy.
While anime piracy remains a persistent issue, organizations like ACE and CODA, as well as major studios such as VIZ Media and Funimation, are ramping up efforts to address this growing concern. They have recently made requests for takedowns of millions of piracy URLs from Google, underscoring the scale of the challenge they face. The ongoing struggle between piracy websites and anti-piracy advocates is shaping an uncertain future for anime piracy and its impact on the anime industry.
Source: TorrentFreak
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