Popcorn Time: 10 Years later

When we launched Popcorn Time in 2013, the streaming landscape was completely different.

Netflix was still shipping DVDs, Hulu was in its early days, and the idea of instantly watching any movie or TV show felt impossible for most people. Access was limited by region, by cost, or simply by availability.

Popcorn Time was born out of that frustration.

At its core, it was just a torrent client no different from uTorrent or Transmission. The key difference is we added a built-in media player and implemented byte-range streaming, so users could start watching content instantly, without waiting for the full download to complete.

One of Popcorn Time’s biggest strengths was how easy it was to develop and contribute to.

It felt like building a website, but as a desktop app leveraging web technologies in a time when Node.js was still new and exciting. This simplicity drew in some of the most talented developers from around the world, eager to contribute and shape the brand.

Everything was fresh, experimental, and fast-moving and that energy fueled our rapid growth.

It started as a side project with a simple goal: make streaming easy and accessible to everyone. No barriers, no complexity just click and watch. But what we built became more than an app. It became a global phenomenon, and one of the most controversial open-source projects ever released.

Within months of release, Popcorn Time 0.3 had millions of downloads and hundreds of thousands more every day. Media headlines labeled it the “Netflix for pirates,” and the attention only fueled the momentum.

Suddenly, we had millions of daily users.

But here’s the truth: we weren’t doing anything illegal.

Popcorn Time was simply a torrent client with a built-in player. We didn’t host any content or charge for anything. It was an open-source project built to prove a point that streaming could be easy, accessible, and user-friendly. The demand for better access was clear, and our growth reflected it.

Challenges

That simplicity and ease of use is what drove adoption at scale. But with that scale came real challenges.

Cloud infrastructure wasn’t what it is today, and CDNs were expensive. NW.js apps required bundling Chromium, which meant every download was huge. Multiply that by millions of users, and bandwidth costs quickly became unsustainable.

We had to be innovative and thankfully, we had support from some of the best. The VLC Foundation stepped in and helped us set up a world-class CDN at no cost, allowing us to keep the project alive during its explosive growth.

While controversial, Popcorn Time became a catalyst. It showed both users and the media industry that people wanted simpler, faster, and more open ways to access entertainment and it forced the streaming world to catch up.

The legacy

Popcorn Time didn’t last in its original form. The pressure was immense. But the ripple effect it caused can still be seen today. Streaming platforms became more competitive, more global, and more focused on UX. VPN usage surged. The idea of watching what you want, when you want, became the norm not the exception.

Looking back, I’m proud of what we built not because it made headlines, but because it challenged the status quo and forced the industry to evolve.