If you are one of those who likes to share the account streaming with friends and you were thinking of applying it to Max, we have bad news. Warner Bros. Discovery will follow in the footsteps of Netflix and Disney+ and announced that it will restrict password sharing at the end of the year. This means that if you want to watch the new season of The Last of Usyou will have to pay, whether you like it or not.
In accordance with The WrapWarner will implement a mechanism to prevent password sharing on Max subscribers. Jean-Briac Perrette, president of streaming and gaming at WBD, stated that the measure against shared accounts will debut at the end of 2024 and will expand during 2025 to all markets.
“We believe that, relative to the scale of our business, it is a significant opportunity,” said Perrette during his participation at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference. The war against shared accounts is part of the company’s strategy to become profitable, with revenues exceeding $1 billion in 2025.
The executive director of streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery did not define the steps they will take to prevent users from exchanging their passwords. It is possible that the giant copies the Netflix model and charge a lower percentage to those who try to access the service. There will also be the option of sign up for a basic Max plan with ads at a reduced price and with the possibility of viewing the content on two devices simultaneously.
The war against shared accounts on Max will begin at the end of 2024. That means you will be able to enjoy the second season of The House of the Dragon using your parents’ password. Warner Bros. will grant a one-year grace period before charging you for access.
The decision to attack shared accounts comes at a key moment for Max. The streaming video service has just premiered in Latin America, one of the most profitable regions of the old HBO. A few weeks ago, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the name change and presented new plans for users in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and more.
Among the new features, the presence of an ad-supported plan that offers content in Full HD resolution (1080p) on a maximum of two simultaneous devices. The Standard plan has identical features, although it gets rid of advertising and offers up to 30 content downloads for offline viewing. Finally, The Platinum plan is similar to the premium Netflix alternative and has 4K and Dolby Atmos support on 4 simultaneous devices, plus 100 content downloads.
Max will have available all content from Warner Bros., HBO, DC, Discovery, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Kids, ID, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. HBO Max subscribers will be able to enjoy their current plan while Warner Bros. defines a strategy to migrate them to the new scheme. This is likely to happen once the company implements a mechanism that prevents shared accounts.
During the last call with shareholders, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that it has more than 97 million subscribers on Max, Discovery+ and the version of HBO offered on cable.