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Audiovisual Piracy in Latin America: How Illegal Streaming Hurts the Economy

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Audiovisual Piracy in Latin America: How Illegal Streaming Hurts the Economy

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Audiovisual Piracy in Latin America: How Illegal Streaming Hurts the Economy

Audiovisual Piracy in Latin America: How Illegal Streaming Hurts the Economy

Gabriel Pasqualini

CEO & Founder, Pulpou

Gabriel Pasqualini

CEO & Founder, Pulpou

Brand protection

Published Apr 17, 2025

Piracy in Latin America is not slowing down. Despite the rise of legitimate streaming platforms, millions of users still access illegal portals to watch series and movies for free. While these websites may appear harmless, they cause deep economic and cultural damage across the region. According to the Latin American Telecommunications Study Center (CetLa), countries such as Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador have the highest proportion of visits to pirate sites. The report highlights a persistent challenge that affects not only content creators but also governments, advertisers, and consumers.

Piracy in Latin America is not slowing down. Despite the rise of legitimate streaming platforms, millions of users still access illegal portals to watch series and movies for free. While these websites may appear harmless, they cause deep economic and cultural damage across the region. According to the Latin American Telecommunications Study Center (CetLa), countries such as Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador have the highest proportion of visits to pirate sites. The report highlights a persistent challenge that affects not only content creators but also governments, advertisers, and consumers.

The rise of piracy in LatAm

The rise of piracy in LatAm

Piracy has reached worrying levels in Latin America. CetLa’s study shows that Bolivia (65%), Nicaragua (62%), and Ecuador (61%) lead the region in visits to illegal streaming portals.

In total, nearly one in two internet users in Latin America consumes content from pirate sites. Globally, illegal streaming represents 50% to 80% of all pirated content online, generating over US$50 billion in losses for the audiovisual industry in 2022.

This growth reveals both a cultural normalization of piracy and a lack of awareness of its long-term impact on local economies and creative industries.

Why users still choose illegal content

Why users still choose illegal content

Free access remains the main driver. Many users choose illegal portals like Cuevana or 123movies because they offer instant access to popular titles without paying for subscriptions.

Search engines also contribute to the problem: two out of every ten search results for audiovisual content in the region lead to pirate sites.

However, the hidden cost is high. Users expose themselves to malware, scams, and data theft, while also violating copyright laws. Meanwhile, official streaming platforms struggle to compete against illegal domains that exploit loopholes in online visibility and hosting.

From chaos to clarity

From chaos to clarity

From data to action

From data to action

This image features a cute, pink octopus wearing glasses, holding a blue shield with a checkmark, symbolizing protection and safety.
A cute, red cartoon octopus wearing glasses holds a blue shield with a check mark, symbolizing security and safety.
This image features a cute, pink octopus wearing glasses, holding a blue shield with a checkmark, symbolizing protection and safety.

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Economic and legal consequences

Economic and legal consequences

The economic losses are staggering. In Brazil, estimated losses in 2022 exceeded US$2.6 billion, while Mexico lost around US$1.6 billion. These figures reflect the serious damage piracy inflicts on jobs, production, and fair competition.

Beyond finances, piracy is a legal offense. Consuming or distributing copyrighted content without authorization violates intellectual property laws and can lead to penalties or prosecution. The normalization of these practices undermines creative industries and discourages investment in new content production.

Market potential and legal growth opportunities

Legal streaming services, the video-on-demand market could grow by US$689 million to US$872 million annually.

This shows that the region’s appetite for digital content is strong—the challenge lies in converting illegal consumption into sustainable, legal demand that benefits creators, distributors, and consumers alike.

How to fight piracy and protect your brand

Combating piracy requires collaboration between platforms, brands, and authorities.

Some key measures include:

  • Monitoring domains and takedowns: Use brand protection tools to detect and remove infringing content quickly.

  • Education: Inform users about the risks of illegal streaming and promote legal alternatives.

  • Legal enforcement: Strengthen regional policies to penalize repeat offenders and safeguard intellectual property rights.

At Pulpou, we help brands identify and remove unauthorized content through automated detection and marketplace monitoring, supporting fair competition and protecting digital assets.

References

  • Latin American Telecommunications Study Center (CetLa) — Piracy in Latin America Report 2023.

  • Motion Picture Association (MPA) — The Impact of Online Piracy on the Global Economy.

  • Pulpou Brand Protection — Detecting and Removing Infringing Content with Automation.


Gabriel Pasqualini

CEO & Founder, Pulpou

Gabriel Pasqualini

CEO & Founder, Pulpou