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Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a page out of Netflix’s playbook.
In an apparent move to crack down on password sharing outside the home, the company’s streaming service Max has launched a new feature it is calling Extra Member Add-On. Similar to Netflix’s paid sharing model, the new feature allows users to add an extra person who does not live in the same household as the primary account holder to their subscription for a monthly fee.
Priced at $7.99 a month, the friend or family member of the account owner gets their own stand-alone account under the same subscription. Existing profiles attached to customers who do not live within the primary household can be transferred to these new account types, which means their watch history and recommendations will follow them to the new account.
At least for now, the option is limited to one add-on profile per subscription.
Netflix long teased its password crackdown before implementing similar changes in 2023, a strategy that was quickly adapted by Disney last fall for its Disney+ service.
“Extra Member Add-On and Profile Transfer are two key Max advancements, designed to help viewers with a new way to enjoy our best-in-class content at an exceptional value, and offer subscribers greater flexibility in managing their accounts,” said JB Perrette, CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement Tuesday.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s plan to cut down on password sharing was floated back in December. The move comes as streamers attempt to boost revenue from these direct-to-consumer platforms and sustain profitability.
