Netflix starts restricting account sharing in more than 100 countries
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Netflix had a lot of info to share with investors this week. We’ve already reported that the streaming service decided to axe its Basic plan in the UK and US, but it looks like there’s even more interesting information that Netflix revealed in its recent letter to shareholders.
After banning account sharing in the United States back in May, Netflix revealed this week plans to expand the ban to more than 100 countries. It appears that the US was just a test field for the company’s new strategy, which proved quite efficient.
Even with the crackdown on password sharing, Netflix added about 6 million paying subscribers during Q2 2023, which shows that more people are willing to pay extra to be allowed to share their accounts rather than dropping their subscription due to the changes.
That said, Netflix has taken the decision to restrict account sharing in the rest of the countries where this is still possible. Customers in more than 100 countries now have the option to add an extra member to their account for a certain monthly fee. However, some countries will not get this option because Netflix feels like it dropped the price of the monthly subscription too low already
If you don’t see the option to add an extra member to your Netflix account in the following days, it means that you’re living in one of the countries that won’t be getting that feature.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which countries are affected by the new restrictions on account sharing?
Which countries are affected by the new restrictions on account sharing?
The new restrictions on account sharing are being expanded to more than 100 countries. These are almost all of Netflix's remaining countries where the ban was not already in place, following an initial rollout in the US.
Q.Will all affected Netflix customers have the option to add an extra member for a fee?
Will all affected Netflix customers have the option to add an extra member for a fee?
No, not all affected customers will have this option. In some countries, such as Indonesia, Croatia, Kenya, and India, Netflix has recently cut prices and will not offer the extra member feature.
Q.Why are some countries not getting the option to add an extra member?
Why are some countries not getting the option to add an extra member?
Netflix has recently cut prices in these specific countries, and their market penetration is still relatively low. The company feels it already dropped the monthly subscription price too low to offer an extra member option.
Q.Did the US account sharing ban lead to a decrease in subscribers?
Did the US account sharing ban lead to a decrease in subscribers?
No, the US ban did not lead to a decrease in subscribers. Netflix added about 6 million paying subscribers globally during Q2 2023, indicating the strategy proved efficient.
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