DISNEY+ has announced its password sharing crackdown will hit years this summer.
The House of Mouse is following in the footsteps of Netflix who managed to turnaround their fortunes with a similar tactic last year.
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Bosses have revealed that users “suspected of improper sharing” will be shown a popup message urging them to start their own subscription.
People who want to continue piggybacking on someone else’s account are allowed to add people outside their household for an extra fee.
We are huge Disney fans, but I’m tired of the greed
Disney+ user
Disney hasn’t shared how much the charge will be.
Netflix also does the same currently, charging each extra user £2.50 / $2.99 a month.
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“We want to reach as large an audience as possible with our outstanding content,” Disney’s Chief Financial Officer, Hugh Johnston, said.
“We’re looking forward to rolling out this new functionality to improve the overall customer experience and grow our subscriber base.”
How to get Disney+ for FREE
There are ways users can access Disney+ for free legally.
If you own a Samsung device from the last couple of years you can redeem a year’s free access – instructions on how it works can be seen here.
Those who don’t have an eligible gadget can still save money on Disney+ using other tricks.
You can exchange Tesco Clubcard points to pay for Disney+.
And Virgin Media O2 customers can get £2 off Disney+ via the free Priority app by adding the service to their bill.
Fans of the service have raged about the move on social media.
“With the price increase and not allowing password sharing, it’s time to cancel Disney+ and get Paramount+,” one user wrote.
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“We are huge Disney fans, but I’m tired of the greed,” another fumed.
“Guess I’m cancelling Disney+ as well then,” a third person concluded.
Disney announces major $1.5bn Fortnite deal that paves the way for exciting new games
Tough times
Disney is tightening its belt after latest figures showed the company’s streaming platform lost 1.3million subscribers by the end of 2023.
Separate data from UK ratings organisation Barb suggest the number of people subscribing to paid streaming has declined across the board.
It claims 7.3million homes across the UK had access to Disney+ in the final three months of 2023, compared with 7.6million the three months before.
In a bid to turn things around, Disney has announced a new $1.5billion partnership with Fortnite.
