torrents are a type of manifest used to describe the download. sometimes it’s a single file, sometimes dozens. it also includes information which allows for the files to be downloaded but instead of them coming from a single source, they are broken into thousands of digital blocks and sent from multiple sources simultaneously.
the formats used for video files, typically mp4, avi, mkv, etc, hold the video data as a series of frames and partial frames. these frames, and partial frames, are stored in a series of compressed digital blocks. when downloading a video stream, these blocks, which store image and audio data, are sent to to the viewer and collected, assembled, displayed, and then discarded.
if you have a local copy, downloaded over a torrent, you have a permanent copy and are able to watch the video whenever you want... and not at the whim of some corporate exec.
The “problem” is not knowing how many times a particular episode or portion of an episode is viewed in what geographical area. The main benefit of “free streaming”