Max confirms more password crackdown pain is on the way as the Netflix-led account sharing clampdown spreads

All pain, no gain

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has confirmed it’ll start clamping down on Max account sharing before the end of the year.

After the huge success ofNetflix’s password crackdown scheme, the world’s biggest studios have piled on the bandwagon with the aim of securing new users (and squeezing money out of them) to boost their revenue streams.

We already knew thatDisney Plus and Hulu were following Netflix’s password crackdown lead, with the streaming titans set to follow suit with their own scheme before 2024 ends. Now,Max– WBD’s super streamer replacement for HBO Max – is also preparing to stop you and I from sharing accounts with our families and friends.

Speaking during anevent at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, WBD’s streaming head J.B. Perrette confirmed the entertainment behemoth plans to introduce its own password clampdown plan in the coming months. The news comesalmost three weeks after Max finally launched in its first non-US territoryand 10 days afterMax was confirmed to arrive in the UK and Australia in a few years' time.

“We’re launching [Max] in a bunch of European markets as we go into the second and third quarter,” Perette told the assembled crowd. “And password-sharing crackdown, which, obviously, Netflix has implemented extremely successfully. We’re going to be doing that starting later this year and into 2025, which is another growth opportunity for us.”

“You see Netflix’s success, but Netflix was in market for 17 years. That means people were sharing passwords for 17 years. We’ve been in the market for four, if you count the HBO Max launch. Obviously, we’re not quite at the same scale, but relative to the scale of our business, it’s a meaningful opportunity.”

If you were planning on streaming some of thebest Max moviesandbest Max showsfor free sometime soon, then, you’ll want to do so ASAP before you’re locked out of your family or friends' accounts.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

A subscription hop, skip, and a jump

With Max set to deliver more password crackdown pain to customers – it’s the fourth of the world’sbest streaming servicesto confirm it’ll clamp down on account sharing – very soon, subscription hopping becomes a much more appealing proposition.

Indeed, with Max,Disney Plus, andHuludue to follow Netflix’s lead in the months to come, I’m convinced we’ll see more people jump between services in the near future. People are already doing so but, withanother Netflix price hike set to arrive this year– I expect its rivals to raise their subscription costs, too – something has to give. Weighed up against other necessities like food and heating bills, your subscriptions to the aforementioned streamers, plus others likePrime Video, are going to be the fall guys.

Need more information on what subscription hopping is and where you should begin? We’ve put together a handy guide onhow to start subscription hopping in 2024, which breaks down everything from what it actually is to which platforms you should pay for – based on the potentially great movie and TV show content they’ll provide – in March and April. We plan on regularly updating this article throughout the year, too, to give you advice on which streaming service you should subscribe to in any given month.

I also recommend that you check out ourbest streaming dealsguide at the start of every month. Admittedly, there aren’t many great deals to be had throughout the year, but you can find the odd one now and then, and they’re usually too good to turn down. Right now, UK and Europe-based readerscan grab Disney Plus for a ridiculously cheap £1.99 / €1.99 a month(for a three-month plan, mind you). Be quick, though, because the deal expires on March 14. So, if you’re a Swiftie who can’t wait to watchTaylor Swift’s Eras Touron Disney’s primary streamer, or simply want to binge all of theMarvelcontent on the platform, act fast.

You might also like

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

We just learned more about Max’s password-sharing crackdown – and more price hikes are coming too

HBO’s hit Game of Thrones show is getting a movie – and it might come to a theater before you can stream it

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, November 10 (game #252)