To fight against subscription sharing, Netflix is rolling out a new function allowing you to create a new account from an already existing profile. A “soft” way to encourage squatters to pay their own package…
Netflix continues to adapt its strategy to be king in the paid subscription video on demand (SVOD) sector, and it will tackle account sharing from 2023! The project becomes more concrete and, when the announcement of its results, published on October 18, the company indicated that it would begin to “monetize account sharing” via a sub-account system. If the streaming pioneer has long been the benchmark in this field, it was losing momentum and subscribers worldwide – 1.2 million customers left in the first half of 2022. The crisis, however, seems to be behind the famous service. American, since it announced that it had gained 2.4 million subscribers during the third quarter, well above its previous record of 221.8 million set at the end of 2021 – after two very lucrative pandemic years for SVOD. And in terms of time spent in front of television, Netflix is, in the United States, at the same level as YouTube (7.6%), far ahead of Amazon Video (2.9%) and Disney + (1.9%). Reassured by these results, he intends “continue this momentum” notably relying on a new, cheaper, ad-supported formula that is expected to earn it an additional 4.5 million subscriptions in the fourth quarter, for a total of more than 227.5 million subscribers by the end of the year according to forecasts.
Netflix: towards a paid account sharing system
To achieve its goals, Netflix must overcome other challenges. In addition to the fierce competition between the platforms of the giants today – Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, not to mention the new ones that land, such as Paramount+ or Universal+ –, the firm must face an endemic problem, which still believes with inflation: account sharing. A practice which streaming enthusiasts are very fond of and which saves on the price of subscriptions, especially with the proliferation of SVOD and significant price increases – especially since Netflix is by far the most expensive! It can be whole families who share their account between their members – including those who do not live under the same roof – or friends who pool services – each paying a subscription to a different platform.
To counter this practice, Netflix had tested paid account sharing in March in a few countries – with 2.99 dollars per month billed per additional member – then the possibility of adding households to its subscription – which is linked to a main household. – for a fee. When announcing its financial results, the streaming giant explained that it wanted to “facilitate” account sharing between family members who do not live under the same roof and between friends by creating “sub-accounts (“additional members”), if they want to pay for their family or friends.” Pricing for this new strategy has not been specified. At the same time, the platform is setting up a new function clearly intended to stem sharing: profile transfer to a new account!
Netflix profile transfer: an option to encourage account creation
As advertised in a statement, one of Netflix’s latest discoveries, allows you to transfer the content of a profile to a new account, when taking out a new subscription, and thus not to lose your recommendations, your viewing list, your history, your settings. and game saves. This is only a copy, so the profile will not be deleted from the original account upon transfer. This option can be practical for many scenarios: a member who leaves the family home, a breakup, a move, a joint account that is going to be closed… But it is also and above all a way to encourage, casually , fans of account sharing to take out their own subscription.
The feature is rolling out globally, and users will be emailed when it becomes available. To transfer a profile, you must log in to the account, then go to the profile concerned. On the menu at the top right – the icon of the profile in question – you have to click on “Transfer a profile” and create your new account. Simple, fast and effective. But the announcement of this option just a few days after unveiling the new subscription with advertising is no coincidence, especially since Netflix plans to offer a special formula, with additional profiles, and Adobe – the inventor of the PDF and Photoshop – has developed a visibly very effective anti-sharing tool that could be of great interest to streaming platforms.