Warner Bros. Discovery has followed Netflix‘s lead and rolled out an “extra member add-on” feature to its flagship streaming service Max.
The initiative is designed to stem the effects of password sharing and generate incremental revenue.
The new option, which costs $7.99 a month, also lets a subscriber transfer an adult profile to the extra member account. Only one add-in is allowed per account. The extra member can stream from one profile on one device at a time and get all benefits included in the primary account holder’s base plan.
WBD had signaled last year it would begin to restrict password sharing in early 2025. Speaking at a Wells Fargo conference last December, JB Perrette, WBD’s CEO of Global Streaming and Games, said certain Max subscribers would begin getting “some very early, gentle messaging” about password sharing by the end of 2024.
Allowing subscribers to freely share their passwords with non-subscribers used to be common years ago in the streaming business. Netflix even once bragged about it as a sign of its consumer-friendliness. As streaming grew, however, companies realized the financial stakes and began cracking down on the practice. Netflix introduced its paid password sharing setup in 2023 after testing it in several markets. The scheme is also designed to motivate some customers to try out the company’s cheaper, ad-supported tier given it is less expensive than adding an additional subscriber. Disney has also toughened up on password sharing.
The Extra Member Add-On allows a primary account owner to share their Max account by inviting a friend or family member outside of their household to create a separate, standalone account with an adult profile under the same subscription. These Extra Members will have their own login credentials separate from the primary account. Extra members can stream from one profile on one device at a time and can enjoy all other benefits included in the primary account owner’s base plan. Extra Member Add-On is limited to one add-on per account.
“Extra Member Add-On and Profile Transfer are two key Max advancements, designed to help viewers with a new way to enjoy our best-in-class content at an exceptional value, and offer subscribers greater flexibility in managing their accounts,” Perrette said in a statement. “These updates provide a simple way for subscribers to add-on a new member to their account, or for existing subscribers who have users outside of their household to smoothly, and in an uninterrupted fashion, transition their profile so that extra member can continue to access Max.”
