close
close

Gottagopestcontrol

Trusted News & Timely Insights

Disney+ launches comprehensive crackdown on password sharing with “Extra Member”
Massachusetts

Disney+ launches comprehensive crackdown on password sharing with “Extra Member”

Disney has followed Netflix’s lead and rolled out a large-scale program aimed at converting Disney+ password users into paying customers.

This week, Disney+ began notifying subscribers that paid sharing options are generally available, providing users with new ways to pay for access to Disney+ on behalf of family members or friends outside their household who may have used their accounts improperly.

Disney+ paid sharing features and capabilities are now available in the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe and Asia Pacific, following a launch in select markets over the summer.

“Your Disney+ subscription is intended for use within your household, which is a collection of devices connected to your primary personal residence and used by the people who live there,” the company explains in a message to customers. Anyone living outside of a Disney+ customer’s household “must sign up and pay for their own subscription or be added to your account as an additional member for an additional monthly fee to continue enjoying Disney+.”

In the US, an Extra Member profile costs an additional $6.99 per month for Disney+ Basic subscriptions and $9.99 per month for Disney+ Premium subscriptions. Currently, only one Extra Member slot is available per primary account; and the Extra Member option is not available for Disney Bundle subscribers or for subscribers billed through third-party providers. Disney+ account holders can transfer an eligible profile to a new subscription or Extra Member to retain that profile’s Disney+ viewing history and settings.

The expanded rollout of paid sharing on Disney+ comes less than a month before the company’s planned price increase in the U.S.: Starting October 17, the price of Disney+ Basic (with ads) will rise from $7.99 to $9.99/month, and Disney+ Premium (without ads) will rise from $13.99 to $15.99/month. Disney is also increasing prices for Hulu, ESPN+ and its multiservice packages.

The company noted that Disney+ users traveling outside of their household will still be able to access the service. “If you are traveling and see the message ‘This TV does not appear to be in the household for this account,’ you can mark yourself as ‘I’M NOT HOME’ or select ‘UPDATE HOUSEHOLD’ if you have recently moved and need to reset the household location for your Disney+ subscription,” Disney said. Logging in under these circumstances requires a one-time password sent to the email address associated with the account.

Disney also plans to crack down on password sharing at Hulu and ESPN+. In advance of these measures, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ informed their US customers earlier this year of changes to their subscription terms, which now explicitly prohibit users from sharing their login information with anyone who does not live at their primary residence.

According to the updated subscription agreements for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, you may not “share your subscription outside of your household unless your service level allows otherwise.” The term “household” refers to the collection of devices “connected to your primary personal residence and used by the people who live there,” the agreements state.

“We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement,” the updated terms state. “If we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other action permitted by this Agreement.”

Disney is copying Netflix’s successful approach to curbing password piggybacking. Netflix executives have credited the sweeping account-sharing initiative it launched in over 100 countries last year with helping boost subscriber numbers. Warner Bros. Discovery has said it will roll out a similar program to enforce password sharing for Max this year.

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *