Warner Bros. Discovery is the latest streaming company to crack down on password sharing. The company has officially launched a new Extra Member Add-On feature for Max subscribers in the U.S., aiming to generate more revenue from viewers who use someone else’s account.
The new add-on, priced at $7.99 per month, allows primary Max account holders to share access with one friend or family member outside of their household. The invited user gets a separate login, their adult profile, and full access to Max’s content just like any regular subscriber.
The move follows similar steps by Netflix and Disney+, which both launched account-sharing options in recent months to crack down on illicit usage. Netflix’s efforts proved to be a revenue booster, and Warner Bros. Discovery seems to be betting on the same outcome.
The Extra Member Add-On lets a subscriber pay an additional $7.99/month to officially share their subscription with someone not living in the same household. This new member will get their own standalone Max account with an adult profile but will only be able to stream on one device at a time.
This feature is available only to direct Max subscribers and doesn’t apply to users who access the platform through bundles or third-party packages. Also, each primary account can add only one extra member.
In addition, Max now offers a Profile Transfer option, allowing users to move an existing profile from one account to another along with watch history, personalized recommendations, and settings. This makes it easier for people transitioning out of shared accounts to keep their viewing data.
JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “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. 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.”
The streaming industry has been undergoing a major shift. After years of allowing account sharing, platforms are now tightening the rules as subscriber growth plateaus and the focus shifts to profitability.
Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown in 2023 led to a spike in new subscriptions, and Disney+ followed with its own version of an extra member plan. Max is now joining that trend to help clean up account misuse and increase revenue.
Max has one of the richest content libraries among streamers. It offers a wide mix of shows and movies from popular brands like HBO, Warner Bros., A24, Adult Swim, and the DC Universe. That includes hit shows like:
- “The Last of Us”
- “Hacks”
- “Peacemaker” (Season 2 coming in August)
- “The White Lotus”
- “The Penguin”
- “House of the Dragon”
Plus, Max streams blockbuster films like “Barbie,” “Dune: Part One & Two,” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, along with classic sitcoms like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory.” With the launch of the Extra Member Add-On, Max is making it easier for more people to legally access its premium content while encouraging users to play by the rules.