Warner Bros Discovery plans to extend its restrictions on password sharing for HBO Max subscribers around the world, with users expected to pay an additional fee if they want to share their account with someone living outside their household.

The policy, which first launched in the United States last year, will gradually expand to international markets during 2026. The company confirmed the broader rollout while discussing its financial results, indicating that enforcement of account-sharing rules is still in the early stages.

JB Perrette, chief executive and president of global streaming, said the company is only beginning to scale the initiative and that it has not yet been introduced widely outside the US. The global rollout is expected to begin next year.

Under the system currently used in the US, subscribers who want to share their HBO Max account with someone outside their home must pay an extra A$12 per month for the ad-supported plan. The additional payment allows the main account holder to add another person as an authorised user.

HBO Max identifies a household based on the location of the main television used with the account. Mobile phones and tablets that want to access the service while away from home must periodically connect to the same internet network as that primary TV. The requirement involves streaming a short amount of content on the home network at least once each month.

Signage at a Warner Bros Discovery office in New York, US, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Warner Bros Discovery Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on February 23. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The system also includes rules for second homes and holiday properties. In those cases, users must reconnect to their primary home network at least once every 90 days. Subscribers are able to update the registered household location, although the company says the change cannot be made too frequently.

To enforce the policy, HBO Max relies on a combination of signals including IP addresses, device identifiers and patterns of account activity. When unusual usage is detected, customers may receive warning messages that initially appear as reminders but become more frequent if the activity continues.

It remains unclear whether the system will work exactly the same way in every region once the international rollout begins. Warner Bros Discovery has not provided specific launch dates for countries outside the United States beyond confirming that the expansion is planned for 2026.

Subscribers who want to add an extra user must have purchased their HBO Max subscription directly through the streaming service. The option is not available for accounts billed through television providers or other distribution partners.

When an additional member is added, that person receives a separate login with their own password and viewing profile. In many cases their viewing history and profile settings can be transferred from the primary account. Extra members are limited to streaming on one device at a time and must live in the same country as the main subscriber when the account is created, although they can still access HBO Max while travelling.

The approach has evolved since HBO Max began enforcing the policy in the United States in April 2025. The current system closely resembles the measures introduced by Netflix in early 2023, which were designed to discourage password sharing and encourage more users to pay for their own subscriptions.