Game of Thrones named most-pirated TV show of 2014

This is the third consecutive year the fantasy series has topped the list

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones (Rex)

Game of Thrones has claimed the dubious crown of 'most-pirated TV show of the year' for the third consecutive time.

The hugely successful HBO drama is estimated to have been illegally downloaded a whopping 8.1 million times, according to news site TorrentFreak.

The series beat its nearest rivals by a long way for this illegal accolade. The second most-pirated show of 2014 was zombie apocalypse drama The Walking Dead with 3.6 million and The Big Bang Theory with 3.9 million.

The figures do not take into account streaming, which suggests that the overall piracy figures could be “significantly higher”.

Game of Thrones has had phenomenal global success and has won countless awards, including two gongs at this year’s Creative Arts Emmys. It also boasts a huge fanbase from around the world.

In the US the show is broadcast on HBO, which people have to pay to access. Similarly, in the UK viewers need a paid subscription to watch the show on Sky Atlantic.

The fact that you need subscriptions to watch Game of Thrones on both sides of the Atlantic could account for the high level of piracy.

There is also a 24 hour gap between the US and UK broadcast, which may lead some impatient British fans to illegally watch it prior to the broadcast.

Game of Thrones has already broken the record for the most-shared torrent with 254,114 people sharing it at the same time.

The fifth season of Game of Thrones is currently in production and will be broadcast in 2015.

Top 10 most pirated shows of 2014

1. Game of Thrones

Estimated downloads: 8,100,000

2. The Walking Dead

Estimated downloads: 4,800,000

3. The Big Bang Theory

Estimated downloads: 3,900,000

4. How I Met Your Mother

Estimated downloads: 3,500,000

5. Gotham

Estimated downloads: 3,200,000

6. Arrow

Estimated downloads: 2,900,000

7. Grey’s Anatomy

Estimated downloads: 2,800,000

8. Vikings

Estimated downloads: 2,700,000

9. Suits

Estimated downloads: 2,500,000

10. South Park

Estimated downloads: 2,400,000