Netflix: 10% of Americans still share passwords, study says

Password sharing for streaming stopped being a reality for millions of people around the world in May last year, when Netflix banned the practice.

I was part of the sharing team and now I pay R$ 12.90 more on the family account. It’s part of the game and I really understand the platform’s decision. There have been absurd cases of dozens of people sharing the same access!

What is now surprising is that this continues to happen today. This is what emerges from a new study conducted in the United States. The survey conducted by the so-called Leichtman Study Group found that 10% of Netflix users still use passwords shared by friends or relatives who do not live in the same house as them.

The percentage dropped significantly from 2018, when 18% of the platform’s users did so. The number was 14% in a similar 2020 study and 15% in 2022.

Despite the historic low, the 10% indicated by the study still represents a lot of people. If we project this 10% worldwide, we are talking about 26 million users!

It is worth noting that these people bypass the system with some tricks, indicating that the account owner is on vacation elsewhere or frequently updating the address.

In addition to Netflix, the Leichtman Group also asked the same question in relation to other streaming services, such as Disney+, Max and Prime Video. In this case the number has grown: research has concluded that at least 23% of all families share access passwords with people who live elsewhere.

A successful experience

Other flows

As the market leader has set an example, other platforms may follow suit. This is the case of Max (formerly HBO Max).

Warner Bros. director of streaming and games Discovery’s Jean-Briac Perrette said in early March that the service could adopt the measure in 2024. The change is expected to begin in some European countries and then continue in the rest of the world . It is not known when this will happen in Brazil.

Hulu subscribers have already faced the limitation since March 14 in the US. Since Hulu is tied to Disney, this is also expected to happen with Disney+, the brand’s most popular platform.

The trend, therefore, is for the major streaming services to follow Netflix in the short or medium term. The only apparent exception, so far, is Amazon’s Prime Video. Company executives even criticized Netflix when the company proposed the change.

It’s worth pointing out, though, that Prime has a slightly different proposition. When signing up, the subscriber receives some sort of combo, with shipping discounts and other Amazon promotions. For this reason the brand does not suffer much from password sharing.

The information comes from Omelette.

The post Netflix: 10% of Americans still share passwords, study says appeared first on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.