Disney+ is the latest premium streaming service looking to limit password sharing among subscribers. During its Q3 2023 earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is “actively exploring” ways to manage account sharing, with plans to roll out new policies. by the end of 2024. the number of people who have shared passwords with friends and family, although his biggest concern is how many of them are willing to convert into new subscribers, which could Disney+’s revenue-boosting effect.

Netflix was the first company to prevent password sharing by logging extra users out of the app, having nearly 6 million new subscribers join the platform in July. Iger thinks the changes to password sharing will certainly attract “a few” new subscribers, and that Disney itself will see the impact of the crackdown next year. That said, it’s possible the work won’t be completed by calendar year 2024 – I suspect there will be a lot of experimentation, as the team continues to explore better options for paid subscribers to split. share their accounts. Disney will begin updating subscription agreements with the new terms later this year, calling it “priority.”

It makes sense for Disney to go down this route, as Disney+ Hotstar — the brand in India and other South Asian countries — just lost 12.5 million subscribers April-June, from 52.9 million. down to 40.4 million subscribers. However, a drop is expected as the platform lost the rights to live stream the premium IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket tournament to Viacom18 for $2.6 billion ( around Rs 21,497) until 2027.

While not explicitly mentioned, another driving factor could be the removal of all HBO content from Disney+ Hotstar, which occurred on March 31, removing a lot of quality shows like The Last of Us, Succession, Euphoria, etc. At the time, most Internet subscribers (myself included) wondered if it was still worth keeping their subscription. Now, even this catalog is under the control of Viacom18, available to stream via JioCinema.

While that sounds bad from a subscriber count standpoint, we have to consider that Disney+ Hotstar subscriptions cost much less than international subscriptions. For example, Disney+’s average base revenue per user is $6.58 (roughly Rs 544) per month, while Hotstar earns only $0.59 (roughly Rs 49) per month. For context, the main (international) Disney+ experience has a total of 105.7 million subscribers, which when combined with Hotstar, ESPN+ and Hulu will have 219.6 million subscribers worldwide. Meanwhile, rival Netflix has signed up 238.39 million subscribers following a password-sharing crackdown.

Disney+ Hotstar Super subscription in India starts at Rs. 899 per year with ads, delivering a 1080p experience. The premium subscription is Rs 1,499 ad-free and supports Ultra-HD resolution streaming. Disney+ Hotstar also offers a mobile subscription at Rs. 499 per year, which limits access to one mobile device.