Say goodbye to your best friend’s neighbor’s aunt’s Disney+ account.Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview CNBC This summer, the streamer will crack down on password sharing globally. The company imposed the same restrictions on Canadian subscribers last fall.
The move comes as no surprise, with Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston sharing the plan during an earnings call in February. “Paid sharing is an opportunity for us. Our competitors are clearly taking advantage of this opportunity, and it is right in front of us. We will take some very specific actions in the next few months.” Disney-owned Hulu said in March A crackdown on password sharing began on the 14th, with both streamers’ terms of service explicitly prohibiting people from using other customers’ logins (though their latest announcements suggest Disney is actually ready to enforce it).
Streamers across the lineup are limiting password sharing, and it seems to be working — for them, not us. Netflix saw a 102% increase in U.S. sign-ups in the first four days after the rule took effect compared with the previous 60 days, according to analytics firm Antenna. There are an average of 73,000 new registrations per day, far exceeding the number of cancellations. Max will also begin limiting sharing this year, with a full crackdown in 2025.
Disney+ will begin implementing restrictions in some countries in June and expand to a second wave of countries in September. It’s unclear which group Team USA falls into, but Disney will likely provide details closer to the date. Disney+ currently costs $8 per month with ads and $14 per month for ad-free viewing.
