Credit: What's On Disney PlusDisney+ has been dealing with a lot of controversy this year as the streaming industry faces a complete shakeup.
The Disney-centric streaming service first debuted in 2019, raking in millions more subscribers on its first day than other major platforms like Netflix or Max. It saw its peak popularity and subscription numbers during the 2020 pandemic and pivoted many of its planned theatrical releases to a straight-to-streaming model instead.
Disney would continue to offer joint releases of new films, offering simultaneous theatrical and streaming releases over the next couple years. Now, Disney+ has several original films and series separate from anything released in theaters while also providing recent movies to at-home viewers as well.
Marvel tried to capitalize on the success of streaming in 2021 by releasing WandaVision, Loki, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a way to start Phase Four, introduce the Multiverse Saga, and tie up some loose ends. Now, two years and almost a dozen original MCU series later, and Marvel is facing disappointing performances from their last few releases.
Marvel series aren’t the only content performing poorly on streaming this year, as it was revealed that the service lost over four million subscribers. In an effort to combat the lost revenue on a streaming platform that already wasn’t profitable, Disney announced that it would be removing several Disney+ originals.
The removal would include both original series and movies, including Willow, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changer, Prop Culture, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum, among dozens of others, including releases that were less than a year old. Fans were outraged at this announcement and it sparked tons of heated debates about the streaming industry and online-only media.
Disney doubled down on unfortunate decisions during the August Quarterly Earnings Call. During the call, it was revealed that Disney+ and Hulu would be increasing prices and adding ad-based tiered subscriptions with prices shifting from $13.99 a month to $17.99 a month. Not only would subscribers have to pay more each month for less content, but they’d also have to pay even more if they wanted to avoid ads.
During the same call Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the company was also looking into cracking down on password and account sharing, following a move set by Netflix earlier this year. The platform took a step towards that in September by removing its “Group Watch” option, an offering that had allowed friends and family to simultaneously stream a movie or show across account profiles without being in the same place.
Now, it seems as though Disney’s streaming service is officially taking steps toward the end of password sharing for good. Starting November 1, Disney+ Canada will be the first country to crack down on account sharing. The Disney+ Help Center now states,
“You may not share your account and subscription outside of your household. “Household” means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.”
An email was reportedly sent out to Canadian subscribers informing them that as of November 1 they’ll be prohibited from sharing their account or password with people outside of their household. It’s unclear how exactly the platform plans to track that information or what the consequences will be.
As Iger continues to lose popularity with Disney fans and the possibility of the company being bought out by Apple or another company remains a rumored probability, this new move by Disney+ is sure to upset subscribers and Disney fans across the board. Unfortunately, as Netflix has already implemented a similar policy, and Disney could do the same with Hulu, it may become a new industry standard.
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