We knew it was coming, but Disney+ is actually, really going to start cracking down on users sharing passwords next month.
Disney’s streaming service started rolling out its focused shutdown on password sharing in the U.S. in February, but the company specified in April it would really ramp this up in June in “just a few countries”, then roll out to all paying subscribers in September. The company first announced account sharing restrictions in August 2023.
In a Q3 earnings call Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed Disney+’s password sharing crackdown “kicks in, in earnest, in September.”
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Disney+ and Hulu have just gotten pricier. Yes, even with ads.
We still don’t have any information about how much shared Disney+ accounts will cost. Disney’s Subscriber Agreement, updated in September 2023, says “additional usage rules may apply for certain Service Plans,” but the current Disney+ pricing page doesn’t have any further details on how much users might have to pay to add extra users outside the household.
Once the crackdown rolls out, you won’t be able to share your Disney+ subscription outside of your household, defined by Disney’s Subscriber Agreement as “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.” Disney’s agreement says the company “may limit or terminate access” to your account if you’re caught sharing.
Disney is also hiking prices for its streaming services including Disney+ from Oct. 17, with the company burying the announcement in a blog post on Tuesday.
Disney+’s crackdown follows Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing last April, and similar moves by Hulu and Max. If you want to share streaming accounts nowadays, you’ve got to pay.