Bad news password sharers: Disney Plus is also initiating plans to cut down on sharing accounts, months after Netflix brought in its controversial changes. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed the news in the company’s latest earnings call, saying it will come into effect in 2024.
"We are actively exploring ways to address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family," Iger said, per IGN. "Later this year, we will begin to update our subscriber agreements with additional terms and our sharing policies. And we will roll out tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024." Iger also called the move a priority for the service, as they try and boost the profitability of the platform.
There’s no word yet on how exactly this will be brought in for Disney, but it’s very possible they might follow in the footsteps of Netflix. That streaming service brought in a household policy, where if your device is not considered the main household, you’ll have to sign up for a new account. Initially, these changes started on a small scale, but they’re widespread in most Netflix territories now.
Password sharing isn’t the only change that Disney Plus has announced either, they’re also increasing the cost of the streaming service too. In the US, October 12 is when the new price hikes will take effect, making the cost for the ad-free tier $13.99 per month, up from $10.99.
It’s another painful move from a huge streaming service as prices rise everywhere. Now, it’s just a waiting game to see if the gamble pays off with more people signing up, or if cancellations will surge. We do know it's worked for Netflix so far.
For an interesting take on these kinds of moves, check out what our writer had to say about how streaming services are failing us.
