Breaking: Disney to Begin Password-Sharing Crackdown in June in Some Countries; Full Rollout in September
Disney first announced that it would be rolling out anti-password-sharing rules in August 2023 and now, CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that the company would be moving forward with those plans beginning in June. In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC the day after Disney won a contentious board election against activist investor Nelson Peltz, Iger’s announcement indicates changes coming to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ in the coming months.
- Disney will begin enforcing password-sharing rules in some countries in June before a wider launch in September.
- The company also plans to launch paid-sharing in conjunction with the rule changes.
- CEO Bob Iger hopes to simulate Netflix’s success in monetizing every possible streaming user.
Following the August announcement that Disney was ready to begin moving forward with a password-sharing crackdown in 2024, the company started updating its new anti-password-sharing rules in September and then in February, made it official that the company would begin preventing users from using an account owned by someone outside there home starting this summer. Thanks to Iger, we now know that those changes will take place beginning in June in some countries and territories with a wider expansion of the new rules taking place in September.
Disney has indicated that it will follow Netflix’s lead in terms of combating account-sharing and will offer paid-sharing accounts that allow subscribers to pay extra — but less than a standalone account — so that someone outside of their home can keep streaming. This type of plan is seemingly ideal for families who want to keep their streaming subscriptions under a single account, even if they don’t all live in the same home.
During its most recent earnings call, Netflix reported that it had added 13.12 million global subscribers in its final quarter of 2023, thanks to its new password-sharing rules and ad-supported plans. All of Disney’s streaming services already have ad-supported plans, so once the paid-sharing option launches, the company’s plan will look very similar to that of the world’s largest streamer.
“Netflix is the gold standard in streaming,” Iger told 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.”
Check back with The Streamable as we learn more about this developing story.
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Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
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Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid's Tale.”
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ESPN+
ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders. Sports available on ESPN+ include NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, College Football, F1, Bundesliga, PGA Tour, La Liga, and more.
