Disney Eliminating Disney+ Password Sharing Starting in September

[MacRumors]

Disney plans start seriously cracking down on password sharing for the Disney+ streaming service in September, Disney CEO Bob Iger said in during today's earnings call (via The Verge).

Iger said that Disney would begin eliminating password sharing "in earnest" next month. Disney has actually been talking about getting rid of password sharing since last September, but the timeline has shifted a few times. Disney started rolling out a ban on password sharing in some countries in June, but it sounds like the company's efforts will expand to the U.S. and other countries in September 2024.

According to Iger, Disney wants to end password sharing to turn Disney+ into a growth business.

Cracking down on password sharing was successful for Netflix. Netflix stopped allowing multi-household password sharing in 2023, and saw strong subscriber growth in subsequent quarters. In April, Iger said that he admired what Netflix had done, calling the company the "gold standard in streaming."

"I actually have very, very high regard for what they've accomplished," said Iger. "If we can only accomplish what they've accomplished, that would be great." As for customers that have already been told they can't share their passwords anymore, Iger said that the company has had "no backlash at all."

Like Netflix, Disney plans to allow subscribers to pay extra to share their plans with someone outside of their household, but pricing has not yet been announced.

Disney this week also announced plans to raise prices for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ in October. Disney+ with ads will be priced at $9.99 per month, up from $7.99, and Disney+ ad free will be priced at $15.99 per month, up from $13.99.

Disney+ initially launched in 2019, right around the time that Apple TV+ launched. When the service debuted, Disney was charging $6.99 per month.

Article Link: Disney Eliminating Disney+ Password Sharing Starting in September

 

[frownface]

It was only a matter of time.

Netflix paved the way; and people responded by giving them more money. Expect every streaming service to do this.

 

[CarAnalogy]

If only I could pay one company a flat rate every month to watch everything there is to watch. That'd be nice, no commercials too!

Well, I guess after a while, there would be commercials.

And now there's too many commercials and not enough content.

I sure wish I could just pay for the channels I want, and not have to pay for all this crap.

Hey look, Netflix is a thing, and here comes more like it. I can just pay for what I want! And it's cheap.

Boy this sure is getting expensive. And there's only like one good thing per streaming service. At least there's no ads.

Oh now there's ads. And still not a lot of great content.

If only I could pay one company a flat rate every month to watch everything there is to watch. That'd be nice.

But of course there's commercials...

[The history of TV from the 90s until now.]

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Pass the popcorn. 🍿

 

[bLackjackj]

If only I could pay one company a flat rate every month to watch everything there is to watch. That'd be nice, no commercials too!

Thats called a pay tv subscription Lol.

I laugh at all those who complained about cable and pay tv and literally spend more than I do on multiple subs. My cable box has a hdd, so have not seen commercials in 24years! I can literally FF at 60x.

 

[UliBaer]

I can promise you: There IS a life without TV-subscriptions!

 

[JPack]

Remember when some people were seriously convinced Netflix would implode after cracking down on password sharing? Good times.

 

[MarkosXT]

I just subscribed like a week ago and it looks like I'll be cancelling before it renews lol

 

[jz0309]

of course they are ... apparently worked for Netflix, so it must be a good thing

 

[Zwhaler]

When cord cutting started taking off, some of us were predicting the day when users end up with a massively bifurcated ecosystem of proprietary IPs and licensing, split between numerous service providers, paid for, and with ads! Viola. We’re nearly there. To be fair, if you only need one or two, it’s still a better deal than cable.

 

[JosephAW]

Just to be clear it is not password sharing when I watch using my phone over cellular or I watch using Wi-Fi or I watch using Apple TV using cellular hotspot or watch using Wi-Fi or watch using my computer through hotspot or watch using Wi-Fi or using my iPad via hotspot or Wi-Fi, still using the same account when I go over to my brother’s house and airplay it to his Apple TV or go to work and use my computer at work to watch. All those are the same user and the same account using half a dozen different Internet connections, they better not interrupt my viewing ability.
I haven’t begun to cover the three other user accounts in my family doing the same thing.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Remember when some people were seriously convinced Netflix would implode after cracking down on password sharing? Good times.

Yes, many of them write in every Netflix "changing" thread how they are quitting Netflix in protest... and have quit Netflix 8 or 10 times by now.

 

[Gengar]

So they raised prices before, just so they can nickel and dime people who wouldn't mind paying the addition out-of-household fee... Hmmm.

 

[npmacuser5]

Thats called a pay tv subscription Lol.

I laugh at all those who complained about cable and pay tv and literally spend more than I do on multiple subs. My cable box has a hdd, so have not seen commercials in 24years! I can literally FF at 60x.

We the so called educated technical folks cannot understand the concept, “streaming is not a set it and forget service”. Set a monthly budget, sign on to the number of streaming options as the budget allows. Want a different streaming option, remove one. Simple as that. The real savings, a streaming option that has one big show that interests you. Sign on, watch the show to conclusion, sign off. Repeat often. Very simple!

 

[ellpee]

These corporate evildoers would put facial recognition in books if they could manage it.

 

[xander49x]

Remember when some people were seriously convinced Netflix would implode after cracking down on password sharing? Good times.

who says Netflix is telling the whole truth?

 

[xander49x]

Yes, many of them write in every Netflix "changing" thread how they are quitting Netflix in protest... and have quit Netflix 8 or 10 times by now.

where are you getting your data from for that statement.

 

[jjwwqq]

Disney+ simply isn’t worth the cost, even before they increase prices.

 

[frostrambler]

I was splitting the annual sub with two family members and barely watching anything because there isn’t enough content, not even close. Now they are raising the prices again and removing sharing. Here I go pirating again.

 

[SpotOnT]

My billing address is a PO Box.

Will be interesting to see how they handle that.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Disney wants to end password sharing to turn Disney+ into a growth business.

So, instead of me occasionally using a password from my friend, who subscribes all 12 months out of the year, we each subscribe separately for 1-2 months out of the year and binge watch episodes, like we do for other streaming services that restrict password sharing. Brilliant move to do something other than revenue "growth," in our case.

 

[JPack]

who says Netflix is telling the whole truth?

The same reasons Apple does.

Securities standards (potential fraud charges against CEO), GAAP standards (audited by Ernst & Young), and regulatory oversight (SEC).

 

[JPack]

Yes, many of them write in every Netflix "changing" thread how they are quitting Netflix in protest... and have quit Netflix 8 or 10 times by now.

I wonder how many of them have quit and are now subscribing to cable and renting DVDs. 😄

 

[danny1305]

I just subscribed like a week ago and it looks like I'll be cancelling before it renews lol

Why? Were you purposely trying to get over on the company or what

 

[tbobmccoy]

Disney plans start seriously cracking down on password sharing for the Disney+ streaming service in September, Disney CEO Bob Iger said in during today's earnings call (via The Verge).

Iger said that Disney would begin eliminating password sharing "in earnest" next month. Disney has actually been talking about getting rid of password sharing since last September, but the timeline has shifted a few times. Disney started rolling out a ban on password sharing in some countries in June, but it sounds like the company's efforts will expand to the U.S. and other countries in September 2024.

According to Iger, Disney wants to end password sharing to turn Disney+ into a growth business.

Cracking down on password sharing was successful for Netflix. Netflix stopped allowing multi-household password sharing in 2023, and saw strong subscriber growth in subsequent quarters. In April, Iger said that he admired what Netflix had done, calling the company the "gold standard in streaming."

"I actually have very, very high regard for what they've accomplished," said Iger. "If we can only accomplish what they've accomplished, that would be great." As for customers that have already been told they can't share their passwords anymore, Iger said that the company has had "no backlash at all."

Like Netflix, Disney plans to allow subscribers to pay extra to share their plans with someone outside of their household, but pricing has not yet been announced.

Disney this week also announced plans to raise prices for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ in October. Disney+ with ads will be priced at $9.99 per month, up from $7.99, and Disney+ ad free will be priced at $15.99 per month, up from $13.99.

Disney+ initially launched in 2019, right around the time that Apple TV+ launched. When the service debuted, Disney was charging $6.99 per month.

Article Link: Disney Eliminating Disney+ Password Sharing Starting in September

I guess I’m cancelling Disney+ once my Black Friday deal is up. 2 bucks a month with 1 buck Hulu has been great. I won’t pay these prices. Off to YouTube I go!