HBO Max’s password-sharing crackdown is going global

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans to expand its password-sharing crackdown globally, beginning in 2026. This move signifies a strategic shift for the streaming giant as it aims to monetize dormant accounts and increase subscription revenue across its international markets. The initiative follows a successful, albeit assertive, phased rollout in the United States. In the US, Warner Bros. Discovery has implemented "more aggressive" prompts since August, encouraging users to pay an additional $7.99 per month for supplementary user accounts. With HBO Max, now rebranded as "Max," already launched in various European and Latin American territories, and further expansions planned for the UK, Ireland, and the Asia Pacific, the company is poised to apply its paid-sharing model universally. This approach directly targets the widespread practice of account sharing, a common phenomenon that impacts subscription revenue. This global expansion will directly affect a significant user base across diverse markets, potentially leading to a surge in new subscriptions or a decrease in the overall number of active users who opt out of paid sharing. For European consumers, this policy change comes as the region increasingly focuses on digital sovereignty and fair competition within the digital platform landscape. The implications extend to how streaming services operate and generate revenue, potentially influencing pricing models and user access across the continent.