Looks like your password sharing days with family and friends on Disney+ are coming to an end this summer, according to the company’s CEO Bob Iger.
Speaking with CNBC on Thursday, Iger said a password sharing crackdown will begin in June, in select countries, ahead of a wider lockdown in September. The move falls in line with a similar password sharing policy implemented by Disney’s streaming service Hulu last month. It’s unclear when we will see this password sharing crackdown hit Canada, but the move will likely closely match the U.S.
During Disney’s third quarter earnings call last fall, Iger first noted a password sharing crackdown was coming. Now, we have a date on when the new password lockdown policies will begin.
Disney says this change is being inspired by Netflix’s password sharing crackdown, which has been hailed as successful, seeing new sharing accounts being added after it launched its program last May.
“Netflix is the gold standard in streaming,” said Iger to CNBC. “They’ve done a phenomenal job and a lot of different directions. I actually have very, very high regard for what they’ve accomplished. If we can only accomplish what they’ve accomplished, that would be great.”
Disney+ still loses money, but the company said it expects the streaming service to become profitable soon.
Netflix users who want to add extra members to their account need to pay $7.99 CAD each, per month. This applies to Netflix’s Standard and Premium plans. If Disney+ implements an “extra” member charge for legal password sharing, expect it to fall in line with what Netflix is charging.
