Popcorn Time Movie Torrent Service Passes 'Popcorn' On Google Search As App Downloads Exceed 1 Million

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Search for "popcorn" on Google and the first result is not the delicious snack, but Popcorn Time, the torrent service that has replaced the Pirate Bay as the most notorious source of pirated TV and movies.

Popcorn Time has been around for only a fraction of the time of traditional piracy outlets, but with its selection of new movies and slick interface, the service has earned the nickname “Netflix for pirates.” It's nearly impossible to verify exactly how many people download free movies illegally on Popcorn Time, but that tagline has clearly helped spread the word about the website.

Searches for “Popcorn Time” are nearly twice as popular as searches for “popcorn,” according to the website Google Fights, which monitors the frequency of search inquiries. PopcornTime.io, the primary site in a loose network of Popcorn Time pages, now ranks above the Wikipedia page for popcorn in the U.S., the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, TorrentFreak reported.

Popcorn Time's newfound Google dominance could be a result of the popularity surrounding its latest app. It claims to have created the only app outside Apple's ecosystem that can still be downloaded onto iOS devices. It's not available on the app store, but still has managed to surpass the 1 million-download threshold earlier this week, the team said.

“This is the cherry on top. This is the most exciting achievement we never thought was even possible when we just picked up this project,” Popcorn Time administrators told Venture Beat. “This is us. This is what we've created and its breaking f---ing records.”