Disney has finally cracked down on password sharing for Disney+, as new measures have rolled out to try to convert shared accounts to paid users.
Disney+ Password Sharing Crackdown
Disney+ began informing subscribers this week that its paid account-sharing options are available, allowing for new ways for users to pay for access to the streaming service for family members or friends outside their household.
The new paid-sharing features are available to subscribers in the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region after launching in other select markets earlier this summer.
Your Disney+ subscription is meant to be used within your Household, which is a collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside there. [Anyone outside the Household] will need to sign up and pay for their own subscription or be added as an Extra member to your account for an additional monthly fee to continue enjoying Disney+.
Disney+ in a message to subscribers
Those in the U.S. looking to add their password sharing friends to their Disney+ account as an “Extra Member” will have to pay an additional monthly fee of $6.99 for Disney+ Basic, and $9.99 for Disney+ Premium. Only one Extra Member slot is available per account, and this option is not available for Disney Bundle subscribers or subscribers billed through a third party.
In addition, Disney+ account holders can transfer an eligible profile to a new subscription on their own, or add the profile as an Extra Member to keep that profile’s settings and watch history.
If you’re a Disney+ subscriber traveling outside of your household, you can still access the service through a one-time passcode sent to the email address associated with the account.
If you’re on the go and you see the message ‘This TV doesn’t seem to be part of the Household for this account,’ you can mark yourself as I’M AWAY FROM HOME, or select UPDATE HOUSEHOLD if you’ve recently moved and need to reset the Household location from your Disney+ subscription.
Disney also plans to launch anti-password sharing measures for Hulu and ESPN+. According to the updated terms of service for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, Disney “may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement” if you’re caught sharing passwords.
CEO Bob Iger had previously said that the “impact of their limits on password-sharing won’t be felt until 2025.” Plans for policies to combat password sharing were first announced during the Disney Q3 2023 earnings call.
Netflix was the first big streaming service to bring the hammer down on password sharing for accounts in 2023.
Source: Variety
Do you share your Disney+ account with someone outside of your household? Have you seen these new crackdowns with your account? Share your thoughts with us in the comments and on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.