Max Prepares for Password-Sharing Crackdown with Soft Messaging Approach

Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service Max is set to introduce a gradual password-sharing crackdown. Starting later this quarter, Max will begin with what the company describes as “very soft messaging” around paid sharing, with stronger enforcement expected to unfold in 2025 and 2026.

According to Gunnar Wiedenfels, Warner Bros. Discovery’s CFO, the crackdown is viewed as a “form of price rise,” aimed at encouraging subscribers from multiple households to pay a small fee for access. Max’s approach aligns with recent moves by other streaming giants, such as Disney+ and Netflix, which implemented paid sharing models after initial messaging campaigns.

While Max’s precise strategy and pricing structure around shared accounts are still being finalized, Wiedenfels hinted that the platform’s “premium nature” could allow for price increases in the future. This comes as Max recently raised subscription prices for its ad-free plans in June.

Amid these changes, Max also reported a subscriber growth of 7.2 million, reaching 110.5 million global subscribers this quarter.