Disney is set to crack down on password-sharing for its streaming services, Disney Plus and Hulu, starting this summer. The announcement came during an earnings call where Disney’s chief financial officer, Hugh Johnston, revealed plans to offer separate subscriptions for accounts suspected of improper sharing. Additionally, Disney will introduce an option for account holders to add individuals outside their household for an extra fee, aiming to “improve” the overall customer experience and grow its subscriber base.

Existing subscribers of Disney Plus will face these changes starting March 14th.

Both Disney Plus and Hulu have recently updated their terms of service to prohibit subscription sharing with individuals outside one’s household. While these terms have already applied to new subscribers since January 25th, existing members will face these changes starting March 14th. This move follows Netflix’s implementation of a paid sharing model last year, where subscribers are charged an additional $7.99 per month to add someone located outside their home.

Disney sees paid sharing as an opportunity to expand its reach and capitalize on a strategy already employed by competitors. Johnston emphasized the company’s forthcoming actions to address this issue in the coming months, indicating a proactive approach to mitigate improper account usage.

In addition to the password-sharing crackdown, Disney Plus plans to launch a unified streaming experience with Hulu in March, following a successful beta release last year. However, Disney Plus reported a loss of 1.3 million subscribers in the US and Canada following price increases, while Hulu saw an increase of 1.2 million members.

Meanwhile, Disney-owned ESPN unveiled plans to launch a new live sports streaming service in partnership with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, set to debut in the fall. This service will also be accessible to Disney Plus bundle subscribers, which includes Hulu and ESPN Plus. These announcements coincide with Disney’s long-term strategy to adapt to the evolving media landscape, including the launch of a direct-to-consumer version of ESPN in August 2025, reflecting the company’s pivot away from traditional pay TV models in response to changing viewer habits and market dynamics.

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The number of digital content platforms has significantly increased in the past few years. With Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+, many of us to spend too much on just 1-2 series or movies that grabbed our interest.To save money, many have turned to sharing accounts with friends. However, Netflix recently cracked down on account sharing, boosting its user numbers and revenue. Now, Disney+ is following the footsteps of its biggest rival with a crackdown on password sharing starting March 14. Here are the details…

Disney+ Kills Account Sharing on March 14

Actually, it has been known for a while that Disney+ would put an end to account and password sharing. Although there hasn’t been an official announcement, the company was reported to be taking measures to address this issue. Unfortunately, a recent email sent to Hulu users, another digital content platform owned by The Walt Disney Company, has set a date for this unfavorable development. According to the email, Hulu is “adding limitations on sharing your account outside of your household.”

Certainly, upon reading the paragraph above, you might wonder, “Why would a Hulu email matter to Disney+ users?” However, our colleague at Ars Technica asked Disney about the situation, and the response was disappointing for users. Regrettably, starting March 14, Disney+ users can no longer share account passwords with friends or family in different households. Company officials stated they would provide more information to users soon.

We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement. 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 steps as permitted by this Agreement (including those set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement).

Users sharing Disney+ account passwords cannot be identified at the moment. However, it is expected that a system similar to Netflix’s, which blocks account sharing for devices not connecting from the same household for a specific period, will be implemented. This decision is not without reason, as Disney+ has incurred an $11 billion loss since its launch in November 2019. The platform’s original content is expensive and not as popular as before, making it necessary for Disney to make such a decision. Whether this decision will yield positive results, similar to Netflix, will be revealed over time. For now, you can share your account freely until March 14th.

Disney+ pricing in the US as of February 2, 2024:

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