HiAnime, the world’s largest anime piracy website, has made headlines by surpassing Disney+ in global monthly visits.
According to Similarweb’s data, HiAnime attracted more visitors than Disney+ in October and November 2024, showcasing how piracy continues to challenge legal streaming platforms.
HiAnime’s Record-Breaking Traffic
In October 2024, HiAnime recorded an impressive 364 million visits, surpassing Disney+’s 343 million. The trend continued in November, with HiAnime reaching 331.6 million visits compared to Disney+’s 328.2 million.
Even in the U.S., HiAnime outperformed Disney+ in Similarweb’s Streaming & Online TV category, ranking sixth, while Disney+ came in at eighth. For comparison, HiAnime’s traffic was nearly three times higher than Crunchyroll’s 125.1 million visits during the same period.
Why Is HiAnime Growing So Fast?
One reason for HiAnime’s surge in traffic is the recent shutdowns of other major piracy websites. For instance, Aniwave, which recorded 170 million visits in August 2024, was shut down, while Anitaku (previously known as GogoAnime) has been inactive. This has pushed many users toward HiAnime.
HiAnime’s growth has been staggering. From June to August 2024, the site had an average of 209.5 million monthly visits. By October, that number had jumped to 302 million, cementing its position as a leading platform for anime piracy.
The Cost of Anime Piracy
The rise of piracy sites like HiAnime has severe consequences. The Japanese anti-piracy group CODA estimates that pirated Japanese content caused damages of 1.95 to 2.2 trillion yen (approximately $12.4–14 billion USD) in 2023. This is nearly six times the estimated damages in 2019.
Legal streaming platforms such as Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu are also heavily impacted, losing millions of dollars in revenue as fans turn to free, illegal alternatives.
How Legal Platforms Are Fighting Back
To combat piracy, legal streaming platforms are taking various measures. These include:
- Court subpoenas to uncover the identities of piracy site operators.
- DMCA takedown requests, targeting links and content shared illegally.
- Pressure through crime watchlists, ensuring authorities are aware of major offenders.
According to Google’s DMCA reports, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and VIZ Media are among the top companies filing takedown requests to remove pirated content.
Why Fans Turn to Piracy
One of the main reasons fans turn to piracy is the rising cost of streaming subscriptions. Many anime shows are scattered across multiple platforms, making it expensive and inconvenient for fans to access all their favorite series legally.
HiAnime offers an easy, free way to watch anime, drawing millions of viewers despite its illegal nature.
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Source: Torrent Freak