Hulu is now joining Disney+ in restricting password sharing of account access outside of the registered household, and here’s what you need to know.
The Details
Last year, Disney CEO Bob Iger told Wall Street the company would start updating subscriber agreements for both of its streaming services.
Disney+ began the process last year starting with Canada, and this month the changes are rolling out on Hulu.
The new subscriber agreement reveals that Hulu subscribers “may not share [their] subscription outside of [their] household” unless their subscription tier specifically allows for that.
A subscriber’s “household” is defined as “the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.” If Hulu determines that passwords are being shared, the streamer “may limit or terminate access to the Service.”
Hulu’s new account sharing terms will apply immediately for new subscribers who joined on or after January 25, 2024, the company explained in an email to subscribers. For prior and existing subscribers, the terms will take effect on March 14, 2024, unless they acknowledge an in-app notice of these changes earlier than that time.
The password restrictions are part of a broader push by Disney to boost Hulu’s subscriber base and grow its revenue. Among Hulu subscribers in the U.S., 51% said they share their login credentials with others, according to a 2023 poll from product review website Reviews.org.
ESPN+ will also start rolling out password restrictions to its subscribers.
This all comes after a successful password-sharing crackdown by Netflix, which led to an explosion in new subscribers as password “borrowers” were pushed into creating their own subscriptions.