Remember when Disney+ started talking tough about password sharing last year? Well, the next stage of that battle has arrived, and Disney+ is ready to unveil its new ‘Extra Members’ feature – at least in the UK.
This week, Disney slipped out an updated Subscriber Agreement on our side of the pond, which contains some new juicy details about this long-awaited feature.
And it seems Disney+ is taking a page out of Netflix’s playbook, introducing a way to officially add extra members to your account – for a price, of course.
While we’ve known for a while that Disney+ was planning to crack down on account sharing, this new agreement gives us our first real peek at how they’re going to do it.
So, while this means the end of unofficial password sharing is definitely here, it also opens up a new, above-board way to share your account with people outside your household.
Here’s everything we know so far.
Disney+ Pricing Changes
Disney+ launched in the UK in March 2020, initially offering a single subscription tier priced at £5.99/month. This plan included 4K streaming, four concurrent streams, and ad-free viewing.
In February 2021, the price increased to £7.99 per month or £79.90 annually, but the features remained the same.
However, November 2023 saw a significant shake-up, with Disney+ introducing a new tiered system, which is the one we still have today:
Standard With Ads: At £4.99/month, this tier offers Full HD quality, two concurrent streams, and no downloads, with adverts included.
Standard: £7.99/month or £79.90 annually; this option includes Full HD quality and adds the download capability but only supports 2 concurrent streams.
Premium: The most comprehensive tier, at £10.99/month or £109.90 annually, offers 4K UHD & HDR quality, four streams, Dolby Atmos audio, and the download capability.
These changes meant that existing subscribers who wanted to keep their 4K quality and four concurrent streams had to move to the new Premium tier, effectively facing a 37.5% price increase.
Simultaneously, Disney+ updated its terms to crack down on password sharing outside of households, mirroring a trend seen across the streaming industry.
Why Are Streaming Services Cracking Down on Password Sharing?
For years, streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ turned a blind eye to password sharing. It was seen as a way to attract new users and grow their subscriber base.
For customers, it was a way to save money – not just with extra family members, but even with friends, as some people would get one subscription for a group of several friends, sharing the monthly cost.
However, as the streaming market matured and competition has intensified, these companies are now looking to convert shared accounts into paying customers.
Netflix took the lead in this shift, implementing stricter controls on account sharing in early 2023, and adding the ‘Extra Members’ feature.
- Netflix subscribers on Standard or Premium plans can add up to two people who don’t live in their household.
- Each extra member costs an additional £4.99 per month.
- Extra members get their own profile, login, and password.
- They can watch on any device, but only on one device at a time.
The results have been significant – Netflix reported adding millions of new subscribers, largely attributed to their crackdown on password sharing – and prices even went up.
Seeing this success, Disney+ is now following suit.
What’s Changing with Disney+?
Disney+’s password-sharing crackdown started almost a year ago, on September 2023, with an updated subscriber agreement.
That new Subscriber Agreement defined a ‘household’ as “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.”
This means that, officially, you’re only supposed to share your account with people who live with you.
Disney+ states that it may analyse account usage to ensure compliance and could limit or terminate access for violations. This is a significant change from its earlier, more relaxed approach to account sharing.
Enter the New ‘Extra Members’ Feature
This week, Disney+ published a new Subscriber Agreement, which is already in effect for new subscribers and will come into effect for existing subscribers within 30 days of receiving the notification e-mail.
This new document allows us to learn more about Disney’s upcoming plans for the Extra Members feature.
To address users’ desire for sharing while still monetizing these additional viewers, Disney+ is introducing the ‘Extra Members’ feature. This is designed to be an official, paid alternative to informal password sharing.
The Extra Members feature will allow subscribers to add additional users to their accounts for an extra fee (yet to be announced).
These Extra Members don’t have to live in the same household as the main subscriber, but they get their own profile and login.
This approach aims to strike a balance – it allows sharing beyond the household, but in a way that generates additional revenue for Disney+. It’s similar to the system Netflix introduced last year.
The New Disney+ Extra Members Feature: What We Know
Based on the updated Subscriber Agreement, here’s what we’ve learned about Disney+’s upcoming Extra Members feature:
Who Can Be an Extra Member?
An Extra Member is someone the main subscriber invites to join their Disney+ account, even if they don’t live in the same household.
Separate Profiles and Logins
Extra Members will have their own Disney+ profile and login details, giving them a personalised experience.
Where Can Extra Members Live?
Extra Members must be in the same country as the main subscriber. For example, if you live in London, you can’t add an Extra Member who lives in France.
What Features Do Extra Members Get?
Extra Members will have access to most, but not all, of the features the main subscriber enjoys. The exact limitations haven’t been revealed yet.
How is it Different from Regular Account Sharing?
Unlike informal password sharing, the Extra Member feature is officially sanctioned by Disney+. It’s an add-on to the main subscription, not a separate account.
Who Pays for Extra Members?
The cost for Extra Members will be added to the main subscriber’s bill.
Can Extra Members Cancel Their Access?
Yes, both the main subscriber and the Extra Member can cancel the Extra Member’s access at any time.
Who Controls the Extra Member Accounts?
The main subscriber has full control. They can add, change, or remove Extra Members at any time.
What’s Next For Disney+ Account Sharing?
As of now, the Disney+ help pages haven’t been updated to reflect the Extra Members feature – they still simply state that subscriptions may not be shared outside the household.
However, this is likely to change in the coming days or weeks as Disney+ officially launches the new feature.
While we await further details on pricing and tier availability, it’s clear that Disney+ is following in Netflix’s footsteps by monetising out-of-household account sharing.
While not as money-saving as freely sharing your account with friends and family, this can still prove beneficial for some, especially if you have family members who no longer live with you, and would otherwise have to subscribe at full price.
As mentioned, the exact pricing isn’t known yet – but judging by Netflix’s example, it’s likely to be around £4.99/month for each extra member.
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