Some time ago, Netflix initiated technological measures to fight against users sharing passwords. This means one person subscribes and then shares the password with others, thus avoiding the need for multiple subscriptions and lowering the overall cost.
In the past, when Netflix’s performance was strong, they turned a blind eye to this behavior. After all, password sharing could foster user habits and ultimately increase Netflix’s user base. But when performance slumped, they had to crack down on password sharing to force more users to pay for subscriptions.
Now, Disney’s streaming video site Disney+ has started a similar policy. Disney+ announced today that the ad-free premium subscription package will increase by $3 on October 12th, to $13.99 per month.
Disney’s other video site, Hulu, also announced a price hike, with the ad-free package rising from $14.99 to $17.99.
What’s notable is that this is already the second price hike for Disney+ in a short time. Last December, Disney+ raised the price of its ad-free package from $7.99 to $10.99. Even with another increase coming this October, less than a full year, or just 10 months, has seen the price rise by a hefty $6. This increase almost catches up with Disney+’s previous pricing.
Disney’s CEO also announced that Disney+ will soon employ technological means to combat password sharing. Disney claimed the company is actively exploring solutions to the account-sharing issue. The crackdown on password sharing might begin at some point in 2024, when users might have to open individual accounts or else lose the ability to watch videos.