Disney Plus to Crack Down on Password Sharing and Raise Prices

Disney Plus intends to crack down on password sharing, restricting users from sharing their accounts with people outside their household. According to The Verge, Disney CEO Bob Iger said on an earnings call that the company will start doing so “in earnest” this September. It has been talking about the move since last September.

The subscription video streaming service announced in February that it would allow paid sharing and began notifying users accordingly. Paid sharing was introduced in a few select countries in June, but starting in September it seems that password sharing will no longer be permitted in other regions as well. Also, Disney plans to raise the prices for Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus beginning in October.

Disney plans to let subscribers share their accounts with people outside their households for an extra fee, though it hasn’t said how much that option will cost. It’s not clear whether this would affect Disney’s Indian arm, Disney Plus Hotstar. Rival Netflix ended password sharing in India last year, limiting accounts to members of a single household.

Iger was sanguine about the upcoming price hikes, saying he’s “not concerned” the service will shed subscribers. He noted that adding in ABC News Live and curated playlists gives the company “pricing leverage,” making the service more valuable to its users.