Netflix Cracking Down On Password Sharing
Adding A Household Costs $2.99 A Month…. So Far
Well, here we go: Netflix is cracking down on password sharing.
You’ve probably heard that Netflix has reported a big drop in users so far in 2022. They were hoping that Stranger Things season 4 would boost their membership numbers but those digits don’t look like they’re as big as the company wanted.
Now comes the news (from Bloomberg) that Netflix is quietly testing password sharing in some Latin American countries. Could this be coming to New Jersey? I wouldn’t be surprised.
I’d guess that for every Netflix account that is a one-household account there’s 2 or three that are multi-household passwords. In some cases it makes sense, I guess, to share a password. But the company is clearly ready to dip into your pocket to share.
Here’s how the test is working: In certain Latin countries (Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic) if you’re using Netflix outside your primary subscription residence for more than two weeks you’ll have to pay a sharing fee. So far the fee varies from $1.70 to $2.50
You just know this is coming to America at some point, and I’d venture a guess that the sharing fee will be much higher than these “test markets”.
Are you among the subscribers that got a warning message from Netflix when you signed on recently? “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”
Let’s not forget that there’s a very cool local connection for the Jersey Shore and Netflix. That connection is that the company is interested in buying the remaining land and buildings that used to be Fort Monmouth in Eatontown, New Jersey. That would probably mean tons of economic opportunity for us as they build production buildings and offices.
Will and extra $2.99 a month from subscribers who share their password be enough to save their stock price? Will that $2.99 be enough to chase sharing subscribers away? What do you think?
