A survey conducted on behalf of the Association of Television Broadcasters of Slovakia (ATVS) reveals that 47% of Slovaks utilize at least one paid platform to access movies, series, or music. This statistic indicates a rise in the popularity of subscription services, coinciding with the introduction of streaming platforms by local commercial channels. Notably, 47% of respondents now subscribe to such services.
The survey, conducted by CreditCall through telephone interviews with 1,000 respondents, also sheds light on the persistent issue of piracy. Almost 20% of the Slovak population admits to engaging in illegal content access. 10.63% of respondents reported accessing both legal and online content, while 9% confirmed obtaining content solely from pirated sources.
"We assume that in reality this number can be even higher, because people do not always admit to these activities," explains Lucia Tandlich, director of the legal department of the Markíza group, which operates six TV channels, including TV Markíza, Doma, Dajto, and Markíza KRIMI. "The availability of pirated content on the Internet remains a problem. Not only does it significantly make the work of domestic creators, who already have to struggle with a lack of funding when creating, but this deliberate violation of copyright also makes services more expensive for paying viewers."
The survey highlights the widespread consumption of online content, with 56.17% of Slovaks watching or downloading from online platforms. Of this group, 48.39% engage in this activity at least once a week, and 23.21% do so daily. The prevalence of illegal content access poses a significant financial threat to companies holding content licenses or producing original content.
Slovakia has implemented new legislation aimed at combating the spread of illegal content online. This legislation is incorporated into the Slovak copyright act and reflects the European directive on copyright. Tandlich emphasizes the importance of public education: "Pirated content should be treated in the same way as stowaways on public transport are treated. It is important to realise that with this approach you can ultimately harm yourself by not being able to view similar content next time, because, for example, it will not be created at all. Fortunately, it seems that more and more viewers are aware of this." She adds that over 42% of survey respondents believe it's important or very important to support creators and the creative industry by utilizing legal content monitoring services.