Following its earlier announcements, Disney has declared war on excessive password sharing on its streaming services. Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscribers will soon face new rules regarding the use of these platforms.
Netflix’s decision to limit account sharing marked a significant change in the world of streaming. It seems that the company set a precedent, as Disney now wants to implement similar measures.
Here’s all the information about upcoming changes. If you want to see the new rules for using Netflix, take a look at our piece on Netflix’s password sharing crackdown.
We have a similar article on password-sharing restrictions on Max.
When will Disney+ introduce password sharing rules for the US and UK?
During an interview on CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that password sharing restrictions on Disney+ will be introduced in several countries this June. The Disney chief didn’t specify exactly which countries he meant.
However, Iger explained that the full rollout of the new policy will occur in September 2024.
The first rumours around password sharing restrictions on Disney+ appeared as early as August 2023. Since then, CNN reported that Hulu emailed subscribers at the end of January 2024 to inform them that the limitations would be coming from 14 March 2024.
Currently, Hulu prevents people who don’t live in the same household from sharing accounts.
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
Hannah Cowton / Foundry
What do new password-sharing measures for Disney+ involve?
Those who share passwords illicitly will see a notice that they must create their own account to access the service.
However, it will be possible to add a member from outside the household to use a single account, but this will come with an additional fee. For now, Disney has not confirmed how much it will be.
The new restrictions are, of course, intended to help Disney make more money following a drop in paying members – the streamer lost 300,000 subscribers in the US and Canada during the most recent financial quarter.
CEO Bob Iger hopes the new regulations will increase subscribers, as that’s what happened in Netflix’s case (via The Wrap).
We already have the technical capability to monitor much of this, and I’m not gonna give you a specific number except to say it’s significant. We certainly have established this as a real priority, and we actually think that there’s an opportunity here to help us grow our business. Moving forward, I believe three businesses will drive the greatest growth and value creation over the next five years.
If Disney uses the same methods as Netflix, it will use a combination of IP addresses, device IDs and account activity to determine where the primary account holder is based, and block other uses from streaming.
The message sent to Canadian subscribers said that Disney will “…limit or terminate access to the service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this agreement”. So far, the company hasn’t introduced any ‘Extra Member’ options like Netflix, but this could be an option when the curb begins to roll out globally.
