Online Hacker 'Dark Overlord' Threatens to Release More TV Show Episodes

7 Jun, 2017 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Online hacker “The Dark Overlord” has reportedly threatened to release more episodes of new unaired broadcast TV shows and movies unless ransoms are paid.

The group most recently streamed unreleased episodes of the upcoming new season of Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black,” in addition to ABC TV’s “Steve Harvey’s Funderdome.”

Dark Overload June 6 in an email to said its mission isn’t to alarm anyone, but rather just to make money.

"Hollywood is under attack, and we're at the forefront of this most recent offensive," the group said. “We're in the business of earning vast amounts of Internet money."

How much is debatable, considering Netflix refused to pay the group anything. The FBI, which is investigating the situation, said it does not recommend studios validate hackers by paying them.

"The individual victim must weigh their options," an FBI representative told THR.

Regardless, Dark Overlord reportedly claims to have new episodes of CBS's “NCIS: Los Angeles” and Fox’s “New Girl,” in addition to content from IFC and National Geographic.

Dan Rayburn, streaming media analyst with Frost & Sullivan, questions the threat imposed upon Netflix releasing five new episodes of “Orange Is the New Black,” or another serialized show.

“Are some people going to torrent it? They are," Rayburn told . "But at the same time, a lot of people really don't want to do that. If you're really into a show, and you have a 50- or 70-inch TV, you're going to want to watch it on that.”

Indeed, just 5% of North American streaming traffic occurred on file-sharing network BitTorrent in 2016, according to Sandvine, down from 23% in 2011.

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