Max Introduces Extra Fee for Shared Accounts: Crackdown on Password Sharing

Max has introduced a new strategy to control password-sharing, similar to Netflix and other streaming services. On Tuesday, they unveiled an additional member add-on feature priced at $7.99 per month. This feature allows only one account to have an extra user outside the primary user’s home, with all other users being logged out. This move is part of their efforts to ensure more individuals subscribe to individual paid accounts, thereby boosting revenue. J.B. Perrette, a Warner Bros. Discovery executive, spoke about this change on Tuesday in an interview with The Wrap.

He mentioned that the “Extra Member Add-On” and “Profile Transfer” are significant enhancements made by Max, aimed at offering viewers a unique way to savor top-tier content at an attractive price point. These improvements provide subscribers with more control over their accounts, allowing them to easily add another member to their plan or seamlessly transfer their profile to a different user who resides outside of their household. This ensures unbroken access for the additional member.

The additional feature known as the ‘Max Member Add-on’ is accessible to users who subscribe directly to Max, but not for those with a package deal or third-party subscriptions such as cable providers. Max has been alerting its subscribers since December about this change, but it still lags behind competitors like Netflix and Disney in terms of offering this feature.

Max clarifies that additional members can move their profiles to an existing account for ease of use. This implies that if someone already has a profile on a shared account, they can preserve their viewing history, preferences, and suggestions on their new profile. Each additional member will also have unique login credentials, distinct from the primary household’s account.

Max aims to achieve an impressive target of acquiring 33 million additional subscribers by the close of 2026, and this objective is a significant part of their strategic plan. Yet, the company harbors even greater aspirations for expanding into new regions, where users will experience the service for the first time. This move could potentially boost Max’s current subscriber base of approximately 116.9 million up to its target of 150 million.

In simpler terms, current subscribers are expected to receive an email from Max containing all necessary information about the subscription changes. For newcomers, the details can be found on the Max app or website during the sign-up process.

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2025-04-23 00:39