HBO Max to double down on their password sharing crackdown, reveals WBD Streaming Chief 

The days of freely sharing HBO Max login credentials may be coming to an end. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has revealed plans to intensify its crackdown on password sharing starting next month. JB Perrette, the company’s head of streaming and gaming, announced this during WBD’s second-quarter earnings call.

The company plans to take a firmer approach, gradually moving away from the soft messaging it had used until now. HBO Max is not the first to act on this. Following Netflix’s successful measures against password sharing, other major streaming platforms like Disney have also started implementing similar policies.

The main reason behind this push is financial; limiting unauthorized account access is expected to improve subscriber numbers and boost revenue. Perrette stated that WBD has already been testing systems to identify users who may not be authorized to access the system.

With that groundwork laid, the next step is to tighten the messaging and encourage account holders to comply with the new guidelines. By the end of 2025, the company aims to close all password-sharing loopholes fully.

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HBO Max's password sharing crackdown timeline

According to JB Perrette, HBO Max’s crackdown is still in its early stages. During the earnings call, he explained,

“The message language right now has been a fairly soft, cancelable message.”

He added that the company is just in the “first inning” of this initiative. Perrette noted that messaging to customers would soon become “much more aggressive,” and the real impact would begin to show by the fourth quarter of 2025. The firm expects to see the financial results of this crackdown from 2026 onward.

The timeline includes:

• Initial phase (first half of 2025): Soft warnings and voluntary compliance.
• Next phase (Q4 2025): More assertive messaging requiring user action.
• Final impact (2026): Improved subscriber metrics and revenue tracking.

This step-by-step approach mirrors what other streaming platforms have done. Perrette mentioned that the company is learning from the actions of competitors like Netflix and adapting their methods accordingly.

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How is HBO Max identifying unauthorized users?

Before enforcing stricter rules, HBO Max spent several months running internal tests. These tests helped the company identify,

“who’s a legitimate user who may not be a legitimate user,” according to Perrette.

Using this data, WBD plans to deploy targeted messaging. Perrette described it as “putting the net in the right place,” meaning the company wants to make sure that their crackdown focuses on actual violators, not casual users within a household.

The system appears to be based on identifying login patterns that suggest account sharing outside the subscriber’s household. Once flagged, the user will receive communication outlining what steps need to be taken. This will likely include options like:

• Paying an extra fee for additional users.
• Creating separate accounts.
• Verifying household devices.

The company did not disclose exactly how users would be flagged, but made it clear that the process has already been tested and is ready for wider implementation.

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Financial and industry context behind the crackdown

Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t acting in isolation. The company is part of a broader industry movement aimed at cracking down on password sharing. Perrette explained that media companies are

“ramping up efforts to limit password sharing, anticipating a significant financial payoff.”

According to WBD’s latest quarterly report, the company added 3.4 million new streaming subscribers, mostly from international markets. This brings the total number of subscribers to 125.7 million. But executives believe they can do more by targeting the lost revenue caused by shared accounts.

The streaming industry has matured, and many platforms now focus more on profit than growth. Companies are now taking a closer look at any practices that may hurt their bottom line, and password sharing has become a clear target.

Perrette also mentioned that the “real benefit” from the crackdown would start appearing in the financials by 2026, implying the company sees this as a long-term strategy rather than a short-term measure.

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In a nutshell, HBO Max will intensify its crackdown on password sharing by late 2025, with real financial effects expected in 2026.