Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown has received a lot of backlash from its user base. While the company intended to eliminate freeloaders, angry fans refused to pony up and canceled the streaming platform. Subscribers are still not happy with the fact that they have to pay some extra dollars to use their own account, only because they are at a different location. This rebuke, however, didn’t seem to affect the streaming giant as the strategy helped them turn a substantial profit. And it seems it is inspiring others to do the same as well.

The company managed to bring in over 100,000 subscribers and sign-ups on the 26th and 27th of May this year post the same. After the success of Netflix’s anti-password-sharing strategy, another streaming giant, Disney, is also jumping on the bandwagon to stay ahead of the game.

Disney follows the footsteps of Netflix

Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, announced on Wednesday that the streamer will be introducing anti-password sharing in order to drive monetization, as reported CNBC. Iger revealed that the streaming platform will implement this strategy in the year 2024, and it is a “real priority” for the company. On top of that, it will also raise the subscription fee of almost all of its streaming services, including Disney+ and Hulu.

Now, the subscription prices with an ad-free Disney+ subscription will be $14, and for Hulu around $18. The company, in the past, had also proposed its idea of making Disney a “one-app experience” in the US, having Hulu content merged with Disney+. Iger is uncertain whether this new strategy will work in favor of the company, but aims to make the company profitable which lost 4 million subscribers in the second quarter. 

Considering the hike in profits generated by Netflix, it is safe to say that it might be the end of hogging on streaming platforms. But are subscribers okay with it?

Are subscribers happy with the password-sharing bans?

After losing a considerable number of subscribers, Netflix abandoned its “sharing is caring” policy and introduced a password-sharing ban. With 5.9 million new subscribers and a total profit of around $1.5 billion in the second quarter, the policy truly was a cash cow for Netflix. However, it’s not very exciting for the streamers because of the rise in subscription fees and stricter policies.

This policy caused a stir among the subscribers, as around 100 million users were streaming Netflix for free as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The intolerance in the exploitation of OTT platforms led the fans to blame Netflix, who started this motion in the first place. This change could be insanely profitable for Disney, but on the other hand, this could also increase the viewership of free streaming platforms.

What are your thoughts on Disney’s password-sharing crackdown after Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!