Max Is Latest Streamer To Crack Down On Password Sharing

People walk past a Warner Bros Discovery building with a Max "One to watch" banner on the windows. — (Image credit: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Max, formerly known as HBO Max, is the latest streamer to follow Netflix with a password-sharing crackdown, which will begin later this year.

JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and Global Streaming president, recently spoke about growth initiatives for the platform at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference and brought up a password-sharing crackdown as one of the main focuses.

Perrette said that Netflix’s implementation of the password-sharing move has been “extremely successful” and that Max will be starting the same thing later this year and on into 2025.

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He added, however, that he did not want to "oversell" the idea. "Netflix was in market for 17 years. That means people are sharing passwords for 17 years," Perrette said. "We've been in market for four, if you count the HBO Max launch. And obviously, we're not quite at the same scale, but we think there's — relative to the scale of our business — it's a meaningful opportunity."

He also said the streaming service would continue investing in content and expand into additional international markets to drive acquisitions and reduce churn.

Max declined a request for comment.

The news follows a move announced last month by Disney Plus to expand its password-sharing initiative to the U.S..

Netflix implemented password sharing fees in May 2023 and hiked prices in October 2023, helping the company add 13.1 million subscribers in the fourth quarter.

In December, Max ended two perks for legacy subscribers to its ad-free plan – 4K streaming and the ability to stream on three devices at once – but the price remained at $15.99 per month. Subscribers could keep these perks, however, by upgrading to the Ultimate Ad-Free plan for $19.99 per month, which adds 4K streaming and the ability to stream on four devices at once.

As the price of streaming rises and platforms continue to restrict password-sharing, you may be wondering how to find the best deals. To compare a list of free services as well as prices on premium platforms, the nonprofit Consumer Reports' Guide to Streaming Video Services could be of help.

Joey Solitro is a freelance financial journalist at Kiplinger with more than a decade of experience. A longtime equity analyst, Joey has covered a range of industries for media outlets including The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Market Realist, and TipRanks. Joey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.