Tech Desk 
Sep 26, 2024
Disney+ has unveiled a new “Paid sharing” program across various countries, including the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, as its global account sharing crackdown kicks up a gear.
Earlier this year, the move was revealed by Disney CEO Bob Iger, which focuses on increasing revenue and subscriber growth for the streaming service.
Relatable to Netflix's approach, the new system limits account usage to members of a single household. Disney+ defined household as "a collection of devices related to your primary personal residence utilised by the individuals who reside there."
To adapt users who want to share their accounts with individuals outside their household, Disney+ has unveiled an "Extra Member" add-on feature. In the United States (US), this option costs an additional $6.99 per month for Disney+ Basic subscriptions and an extra $9.99 per month for Disney+ Premium subscriptions.
The United Kingdom (UK) pricing has been set at £3.99, £4.99, and £4.99 per month for Standard with Ads, Standard, and Premium plans, respectively.
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Notably, the Extra Member feature arrives with some restrictions. The account holders can only add one extra member, who must be 18 or older and reside in the same country, and the added member can only stream to one device at a time.
For those who frequently travel, Disney+ would still let account holders access the service when away from home. Users encountering access issues can verify their identity through a one-time passcode sent to the account's associated email address.
Moreover, Disney+ is set to offer the option to transfer eligible profiles to new subscriptions, letting users retain their watch history and settings if they select to create their account.
The full launch of the password-sharing restrictions across the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to be completed by the end of the month, potentially affecting a large swathe of the company's more than 110 million subscribers globally.
