A Major Streaming Service Is Cracking Down On Subscribers
One of the most popular streaming content platforms in the world looks like they are looking into cracking down on subscribers.
Things are heating up in the streaming platform world. Where Netflix stood as the dominant force in the world of streaming content for many years, the market has rapidly become extremely competitive. Netflix very notably reported underperforming numbers on their First Quarter earnings. While they had already shaken shareholders by not predicting snagging as many new subscribers as they had in previous quarters, the fact they had actually lost subscribers kicked them into a history-making stock price fall. Netflix has been making news by announcing that they are going to take measures to make sure that people are not sharing passwords to their accounts and presumably hope those people will sign up for their own accounts. It now appears that the increasingly successful Disney+ platform is going to do the same.
According to Protocol, Disney has begun sending out questionnaires in Spain to various subscribers, the contents of which are basically saying “hey, why are you sharing your password to Disney+?” Most likely, the answer in 100% of those cases is “because it costs money.” The questionnaire apparently lists a number of different options to select from including “altruism” “watercooler envy” and “reciprocal sharing.” There is also allegedly an option suggesting that some people might need to be informed that they have accidentally shared their information. The gist of this all is that Disney+ looks to be considering whether or not they should be getting on the Netflix password crackdown bandwagon.
Disney+ is very much on the ascendant within the streaming market. Currently, the field is dominated primarily by Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. All of these platforms seem to be looking for the edge that will give them that much more market share than the others. On one hand, it is causing those platforms to have renewed interest in creating new content. That is why there has been a constant explosion of new shows like Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, HBO Max’s House of the Dragon, Netflix’s The Witcher, and Disney+ whole roster of Star Wars, Marvel, and other shows (including the upcoming Percy Jackson reboot).
On the other hand, even major platforms like Disney+ are looking to save as many pennies as they possibly can. However, subscribers to all streaming platforms have gotten very used to trading and lending and sharing passwords and cracking down on that will be very unpopular. If all services do it, it may come down to it becoming the new normal. It will have to remain to be seen whether it impacts the tremendous popularity of Disney+, particularly as it owns some of the most mega-popular intellectual properties in the world. Of course, Disney constantly has their own slew of other issues, including being attacked by all sides of the cultural spectrum for either action or inaction. This particular questionnaire they sent out to Spanish subscribers may ultimately not go global, but it certainly seems like Walt Disney Studios is feeling out to see what they are going to allow people to get away with.
