This is something we knew because it had been leaked previously. Unfortunately, we are obligated to bring it up again because it is now a reality confirmed by Disney themselves and will come into effect next month.
Disney+ has notified its subscribers in Canada that, starting from November 1st, “unless their level of service allows otherwise, they will not be able to share their subscription outside their home.”
The notification also informs customers that if the company determines that a Disney+ subscriber has violated these terms, “we may limit or cancel access to the service and/or take any other action permitted by this agreement.”
The text suggests that Disney+ will offer a new option (or options) for sharing the account outside the main user’s home.
Like Netflix, goodbye to sharing accounts
The notification to Canadian subscribers is part of the updates to Disney+ subscription agreements to clarify rules regarding shared account usage, which will be applied in the U.S. later this year.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced this summer that the company was embarking on a strategy to monetize “freeloaders” of streaming accounts.
“We are actively exploring ways to address the issue of shared accounts and the best options for paying subscribers to share their accounts with friends and family,” Iger stated during Disney’s quarterly earnings call on August 9th.
“At the end of this year, we will begin updating our subscription agreements with additional terms regarding our sharing policies and deploy tactics to drive monetization sometime in 2024,” he explained.
Meanwhile, also starting from November 1st, the company will launch the Disney+ plan with advertising in Canada at a price of $7.99/month, as well as in the United Kingdom and eight European countries, including Spain.
In trying to generate revenue from users who share passwords, Disney follows in the footsteps of Netflix, which launched its “shared payment program” in more than 100 countries in mid-May.
