HBO Max is following in the footsteps of rivals Netflix and Disney+, announcing it will soon start cracking down hard on password sharing.

Warner Bros. Discovery executives confirmed the new policy during an earnings call. Warner Bros. Discovery streaming head JB Perette said prompts discouraging password sharing will become more aggressive, pushing people to pay extra to add an extra member to their account.

“In September, you’ll actually start to see the messaging, which right now has been a fairly soft, cancellable messaging, start to get more fixed and such that people have to take action,” Perette said.

The push to limit credential sharing comes as growth in the streaming market slows and platforms look to monetise existing users more effectively.

(Streamers use account information, IP addresses, device IDs and user activity to determine if someone is sharing their account with a person outside their household.)

The big players are now targeting password sharing

HBO Max’s move mirrors Netflix’s successful crackdown, which saw a surge in new subscriptions after implementing its ‘Paid Sharing’ plan in 2023.

Those using a Netflix subscription but not residing at the same address as the account holder need to chip in an ‘extra member’ fee.

This is typically around 20-30% the cost of a standard subscription. In Australia, a premium Netflix subscription costs $25.99, a standard one costs $18.99, and an extra member one costs $7.99.

At the time of writing, it appears HBO Max will simply copy Netflix’s pricing strategy. This suggests Australians who share their HBO Max password could soon face a $7.99 increase in their monthly streaming bill.

Streaming platforms long turned a blind eye to password sharing to fuel growth, but the days of ‘streaming socialism’ seem to be over. For film and TV fans relying on a login shared by a friend or family member, the free content ride appears to be drawing to a close.

With investors demanding profits and content costs continuing to climb, it’s likely other streamers will emulate Netflix, Disney+ and now HBO Max in the months to come.