After many announcements (the first even in March 2022), it seems that we are really here: Netflix would actually be ready to live up to its commitment to counter the clever passwords, those who also share it outside the family unit. And maybe even make money on it.
Confirmation can be found in letter to shareholders dated 19 January: on page 5, in the chapter Product and Pricing, we read that “during Q1, we expect to start with a wider diffusion of paid sharing (of passwords, ed.). It means that after the initial experimentation in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, the company intends to expand this functionality to more markets. And that it will starting by March, which is the month Q1 endsthe first of the quarters into which it is divided each year.
Streaming
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How password sharing will (maybe) work
At the moment there are no other official details: it is known that you will have to pay more to be able to share the password outside the household (which will continue to be allowed), but it is not known in which markets or how much it will pay. The same document states that “we have been working to create new additional features that improve the Netflix experience, including the possibility for subscribers to check which devices are using the account (it’s called Manage devices, ed) and transfer a profile to a new account”.
Again in the letter to the shareholders, it is reiterated that “in many countries members will have the opportunity to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people who do not live together with them” and above all it is reiterated that “as is the case today, all members will be able to watch Netflix while travelling, both on television and on mobile phones”. Which is an important detail that should put an end to a lot of guesswork.
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Why did Netflix make this decision?
The reasons that have pushed the company in this direction have been known for some time: the company explained that “this widespread account sharing (that would be more than 100 millioned) compromises our long-term ability to invest and improve, as well as to build our business“.
In simple terms, Netflix would be losing subscribers (to the advantage of Disney Plus) and would see the indiscriminate sharing of passwords as a problem to solve. And the solution would be precisely to make people who want to give their credentials to friends and acquaintances pay more.
@capoema