📊 Hydra Effect: MegaFilmesHD Shutdown Boosted Piracy by 20%, Study Reveals

Research shows site closure increased illegal streaming, but also drove more users to Netflix

Whenever a major piracy website is taken down, the same question arises among users and streaming companies: does it actually reduce illegal consumption, or does it simply push audiences toward new underground platforms? A new study by Chapman University and Carnegie Mellon University sought to answer this by analyzing the impact of MegaFilmesHD’s shutdown.

The Brazilian portal was shut down in November 2015 following “Operation Barba Negra,” led by Brazil’s Federal Police. At the time, the site attracted around 60 million visits per week and was one of the country’s largest piracy platforms. The operation also resulted in arrests, asset seizures, and frozen bank accounts.

But what were the real consequences of this crackdown?

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🔍 Price, Consumption, and Digital Piracy

Despite the closure of MegaFilmesHD, online piracy remained strong in Brazil, with platforms such as Cuevana, FlujoTV, and Redecanais gaining popularity. Previous studies have shown mixed results: some indicated an increase in legal consumption, while others revealed that users simply migrated to alternative illegal services.

The latest research analyzed six months of browsing data from thousands of internet users, ranging from frequent pirates to individuals who had never accessed MegaFilmesHD. The data was provided by Netquest.

The findings showed that habitual piracy users increased their visits to other illegal websites by 20% after the shutdown and spent 61% more time on these platforms. This suggests that shutting down a single website is not enough to eliminate piracy.

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📈 Netflix Usage Grew After Piracy Site Closure

Interestingly, legal consumption also rose. After MegaFilmesHD went offline, Netflix saw a 6% increase in visits, while former users of the pirate site spent 11% more time on the legitimate streaming platform.

According to the study, there was a direct link between previous piracy activity and the likelihood of users subscribing to Netflix after the shutdown, indicating partial migration to legal services.

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👥 User Profiles and the Role of Pricing

The research also identified demographic differences. Students and unemployed individuals were less likely to become subscribers, showing that price remains a major barrier.

Women were more likely to stop using pirate sites after the incident, while men intensified their search for illegal streaming alternatives.

These patterns highlight how economic and social factors shape digital consumption behavior.

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⚖️ Fighting Piracy Requires More Than Enforcement

The study concludes that taking down piracy websites can benefit legal streaming platforms, but the gains are limited. Law enforcement plays an important role, but it must be combined with affordable pricing, strong content libraries, and easy access.

Without this balance, the fight against piracy becomes a constant game of cat and mouse between authorities, companies, and users.