Disney Plus has revealed details of how it will stop ‘freeloaders’ from sharing their accounts.
The company blocks people from different homes from using the same account. It can do this by monitoring which WiFi they use.
Anyone who wants to add an “additional member” will have to pay $6.99 per month for the ad-supported plan and $9.99 for the ad-free version, the company said Wednesday.
The option only applies to standalone Disney Plus – and not if it’s bundled with Hulu. In that case, a completely separate account must be created.
Disney’s crackdown is similar to what Netflix did in 2023 — allowing account holders to add additional members for a fee. But to make it more affordable, the price for additional people is lower than for a completely new subscription.
Disney+ has begun a crackdown on password sharing
Disney announced plans to crack down on password sharing earlier this year – and is now making it official.
Streaming services are increasingly banning this practice as a way to increase profits as sign-ups stagnate.
Netflix led the way, followed by HBO’s Max and now Disney Plus.
The new rules mean that one subscription can be used by a group of devices, as long as they are in the same ‘household’.
Disney, like Netflix, counts the TV you log into as the main device and then everyone else who wants to use that subscription must use the same Wi-Fi network at least once a month.
Netflix is offering “extra member slots” to subscribers who want to share their account with people outside their household for an additional $7.99 each.
Or they can set up their own account entirely – for $6.99 per month with ads, or $15.49 without ads.
The crackdown on password sharing – launched in 2023 – has worked for Netflix, with rising profits and record subscriber numbers.
HBO Max will begin cracking down later this year. Owner Warner Bros. Discovery will block people who share passwords outside their households this fall in an effort to boost declining viewership.
Meanwhile, Disney will increase the price of its streaming plans next month – a year after the last increase.
Disney customers can invite someone to join their household – for $6.99 or $9.99 per month
The Bear is a big hit on Disney+
The Mandalorian is one of the top shows on Disney Plus
“We launched our password sharing initiative in June. That won’t really start until September,” CEO Bob Iger said recently during a meeting
The prices will take effect from October 17 and will cover Disney+, Hulu and ESPN – the entertainment giant’s three streaming services.
Disney+ with ads will increase from $7.99 per month to $9.99 – a 25 percent increase. The ad-free tier goes from $2 to $15.99.
Experts on how to bypass password sharing rules
There are still ways around the new restrictions so you can continue to borrow that one friend’s login details.
To avoid having to pay for an additional subscription, there are fairly simple ways to get around the rules, according to the Lifehacker blogging.
One option – if you live near the home of the person paying for the account – is to visit their home once a month, log into their WiFi, and stream Disney+ for a while on your phone, tablet, or laptop.
This should convince the account that it is being streamed by devices within the same household.
Disney+ will then ‘remember’ your device for the next 30 days and think it’s part of the household for the account.
Streaming on a smart TV outside the account’s primary residence is a little trickier.
However, Life Hacker recommends authenticating another tablet over household Wi-Fi once a month and then casting it to your smart TV at home.