GoWatchSeries (accessible via ww5.gowatchseries.co and other domains) grew into one of the most popular websites for illegally streaming TV shows and series. However, the site’s disregard for copyright ultimately led to its shutdown.
Offering Unlimited Shows
Launched in 2010, GoWatchSeries billed itself as a hub for watching unlimited shows for free online. The site offered an extensive catalog of shows from networks like HBO, Fox, AMC, CW, and more.
Users were drawn to the site’s vast selection, well-categorized sections by genre and network, and ability to easily stream shows in high quality shortly after airing.
At a time when access to shows was still segregated by country and streaming plans, GoWatchSeries became a prized destination for global audiences seeking the latest content.
Flouting Copyright To Deliver Content
However, GoWatchSeries relied on openly pirating content to deliver its library. The site simply uploaded illegal copies of copyrighted programming without permission from networks.
Despite extensive DMCA takedown efforts, GoWatchSeries persisted for years, constantly shifting domains and uploading new links to pirated shows.
As government regulations on copyright violations tightened, the legal heat became too much for GoWatchSeries.
Forced Shutdown of the ‘Piracy Haven’
By 2020, TV networks succeeded in getting advertisers, web hosts, and domain registrars to cut support for GoWatchSeries due to its rampant piracy.
Unable to survive the loss of infrastructure and revenue streams, GoWatchSeries eventually shut down entirely. But its legacy continues through other streaming piracy sites operating today.
For better or worse, GoWatchSeries represented the golden age of unauthorized TV streaming before stronger crackdowns. While hugely popular for users, its large-scale copyright infringement led to its inevitable closure.