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Following in the footsteps of Netflix, Disney will start cracking down on password sharing on the Disney+ streaming service. Disney+ password sharing will end in Canada starting on November 1, according to emails that Canadian subscribers are receiving.

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As reported by Mobile Syrup, Disney is updating its terms of service to restrict account sharing.
"Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household. "Household" means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein. Additional usage rules may apply for certain Service Tiers.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said back in August that Disney would "roll out tactics" to end password sharing starting in 2024, but it appears the crackdown will come sooner in Canada.

Disney's streaming division experienced a $512 million loss in the third fiscal quarter of 2023, and Iger has been aiming to cut down on the company's streaming costs. Disney's ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans also recently went up in price, with ad-free Disney+ priced at $13.99 per month in the United States and ad-free Hulu priced at $17.99 per month.

While Disney plans to put a stop to password sharing in Canada first, it is undoubtedly a change that will also roll out to the United States and other countries. Netflix this year eliminated password sharing between households, implementing restrictions through IP address and location. Netflix saw a notable increase in signups when it eliminated password sharing, so it is not a surprise to see other streaming services implementing similar crackdowns.

Article Link: Disney+ to Start Cracking Down on Password Sharing in November
 
I have never understood why password sharing was considered legitimate on a paid for service. I know Netflix actively encouraged the practice for a while, which makes it difficult to accept them removing the privilege. However in this case it was never a legitimate option and we should be prepared to pay for an ad free service. Now if they add ads. then it is a different matter because I will never pay a company to deliver advertising to my house and the service should be free.
 
I have never understood why password sharing was considered legitimate on a paid for service. I know Netflix actively encouraged the practice for a while, which makes it difficult to accept them removing the privilege. However in this case it was never a legitimate option and we should be prepared to pay for an ad free service. Now if they add ads. then it is a different matter because I will never pay a company to deliver advertising to my house and the service should be free.

if I buy a book I can lend it to a friend. kinda sick of people normalizing digital goods as these rented services from companies we have no rights to.

If I'm paying for it I'll do what I want with it
 
Well, if Netflix password sharing is anything to go by, Disney would just make it hard Enough to deter casual folks, while those determined will find a way regardless, outside of very strict IP/MAC/Device ban from Disney.
 
I don't understand how they could post a half-billion dollar loss on content they already own. How are they accruing those losses? From paying too much to produce original content? They could easily lean on their extensive back catalogue for many years.
It's a really good question. And when you're talking 1/2 billion loss for the quarter (~$2 billion a year), that's not the kind of thing doing a little cutting back and increasing efficiencies will fix. Rather horrified if the numbers are legit (not numbers pushed here and there on purpose), as i like the service...but this is the kind of losses that provokes whether the service is doable.
 
Content companies should have stuck to licensing content out instead of running streaming services, and streaming services should have focused on buying content and running the best service possible instead of trying to make a ton of their own.

Now we have a ton of crap content spread across a ton of mediocre services with a little bit of good stuff sprinkled across each.

What a mess. Not just for users but for the companies too, clearly. They are all losing money trying to run streaming services, while with a little cooperation this could have been better for everyone.
 
I don't understand how they could post a half-billion dollar loss on content they already own. How are they accruing those losses? From paying too much to produce original content? They could easily lean on their extensive back catalogue for many years.
You have to constantly create new content to bring in or keep subscribers; Many people have already seen Disney's old catalog of content. You cannot rely on the back catalog. This is true of every major streaming service providers (i.e. Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon, etc).

Production costs have gone up significantly these past few years. A decade ago, it typically cost $2 million to $5 million an episode (e.g. House of Cards; Orange is the New Black). You now have studios spending $25 million per episode or more. Amazon spent $465 million on season 1 (8 episodes) of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; That's $58.125 million per episode!

Why do you think all of them are raising prices, cracking down on password sharing, offering ad-supported tiers, etc?
 
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