After Netflix Now Disney+ Taken Steps Against Password Sharing

Netflix has shown the way, and Disney+ will follow suit soon. Because the streaming service will not only raise prices but also take action against the sharing of passwords. Of course, one hopes for a new boost in subscribers.

Disney+ stormed into the market

Disney+ got off to a really sensational start in the USA in October 2019, the market launch in Europe took place almost a year later, but it was just as successful. The service reached the originally targeted number of subscribers much earlier than planned and thus smashed the initially rather cautious expectations of Disney management – of course, Disney + also benefited from the “corona effect”, as many got a streaming subscription during the lockdowns.

But this growth has long since stabilized, the fabulous numbers of the first months and years are long history. Meanwhile, Disney + is just cooking with water and has to think about measures to get additional subscribers and offset the rising costs.

And here Disney + is now following the “Netflix Playbook”: After the announcement of the current business figures, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that prices would be increased in autumn. Disney Plus currently costs 8.99 euros per month, and those who take out an annual subscription pay 89.90 euros for it.

In the future, however, there will be three different tracks: it starts at EUR 5.99 per month. Here you get two parallel streams with a maximum of 1080p or stereo 5.1, but no downloads, and above all you have to live with advertising. Anyone who does not want to see the latter and also wants to use offline downloads will pay EUR 8.99 from November 1st. The full package with 4K/HDR, Dolby Atmos, and four streams then costs EUR 11.99 (EUR 119.90 per year). This means that the currently available (only) monthly subscription will be a whopping three euros more expensive.

It will not be possible to escape the higher price in the future either, because Disney is planning measures against account sharing – also based on the Netflix model. As Engadget reported, Iger said his company is “actively exploring opportunities” to “address account sharing and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family.” In other words: Anyone who shares their account with others who do not live in the same household must expect measures against this from 2024.