Disney+ will introduce a new feature in the UK. The feature, called ‘Extra Members,’ aims to prevent account sharing. It will also add a new way to make money. This change follows Disney+’s earlier move. It restricted sharing passwords outside of households. The new feature lets subscribers add extra members to their accounts for a fee. This mirrors a strategy used by Netflix.
Details of the ‘Extra Members’ Feature
Disney+ first launched in the UK in March 2020. It had one subscription tier for £5.99 per month. This price included 4K streaming and four streams at once. However, pricing and plans have since evolved. In November 2023, Disney+ introduced a tiered pricing system:
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Standard With Ads: £4.99/month for full HD quality, two concurrent streams, and ads.
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£7.99/month or £79.90 annually buys Full HD quality, downloads, and two streams.
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Premium: £10.99/month or £109.90 annually for 4K UHD & HDR quality, four streams, Dolby Atmos audio, and downloads.
The ‘Extra Members’ feature is Disney+’s response to the challenge. The challenge is password sharing. The updated Subscriber Agreement defines a ‘household’ as the devices at the main home. It restricts account sharing to within the household. The new feature will let subscribers add extra members. The members do not live with them. Each member will have their own profile and login. Extra Members must live in the same country as the main subscriber. They can access most of the main subscriber’s features.
The ‘Extra Members’ feature has no full pricing details. It’s expected to be similar to Netflix’s £4.99 per extra member per month. We will roll out the feature in stages. Existing subscribers will get updates and options. They can adopt the feature in the next 30 days.
This change aims to balance account sharing with the need to make more money. It also aims to reduce informal sharing. Disney+ will provide more details soon. But, adding the ‘Extra Members’ feature marks a big change. It shifts how streaming services manage account sharing.