Netflix
The streaming service is serious about account sharing
The Netflix streaming service has announced that it intends to take broader action against account sharing as early as the first quarter of 2023.
The streaming service Netflix has announced further steps in the fight against account sharing. “Later during the first quarter, we expect to begin rolling out paid sharing more broadly,” the company said in a recent quarterly report. “The widespread account sharing today (more than 100 million households) is undermining our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix and build our business.”
The terms of service actually limit viewing Netflix to one household. The streaming service knows that this step “means a change for members who share their accounts on a broader basis”. That’s why they “worked hard” to develop additional new functions. This would allow members to check which devices are using their account and transfer a profile to a new account.
No more love for account sharing
“With the introduction of paid sharing, members in many countries will be able to pay extra to share Netflix with people they don’t live with,” it said. “Like today, all members can watch Netflix while traveling, whether on a TV or mobile device.”
In the course of this change, some co-users of accounts could stop watching Netflix. However, as long as you continue to offer a “great program”, they would probably return and take out their own subscriptions, similar to what they did in Latin America. The service had carried out tests there in several countries.
A little less than six years ago, Netflix advertised account sharing. in one now famous tweet the company wrote in March 2017, “Love is sharing a password.” This practice will probably soon come to an unromantic end. In Germany, Netflix already offers the option of transferring a profile to an independent account. The streaming service currently offers four subscription options: A “basic” package costs EUR 7.99 per month, a “standard” account is EUR 12.99, a “premium” subscription is EUR 17.99 per month and one “Basic” variant with advertising at 4.99 euros.