- HBO Max plans to roll out its password crackdown globally…
- …but HBO Max could be integrated into Paramount+ after planned merger
- HBO’s Extra Member Fee is currently US-only.
HBO Max’s crackdown on account/password sharing is rolling out globally unless the streaming service is shut down first. This was stated by JB Perrette, CEO of HBO Max and President of Worldwide Streaming. Although he didn’t say that second sentence.
Perrette was speaking to investors during the streamer’s latest earnings conference call and, as FlatpanelsHD reports, he said: “We’re in round two of our password sharing application. It’s just starting to pick up steam. It hasn’t scaled globally at all. It will start in 2026.”
Or will it be? Because you can’t introduce a password crackdown on a streaming service if you no longer have a streaming service. And right now, HBO Max’s future as a standalone streamer is far from certain.
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What’s happening at HBO Max?
The future of HBO Max currently depends on regulators approving the acquisition of HBO Max’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance. According to at least one prominent media analyst, if this comes to fruition, HBO Max could be shut down by the end of 2027.
Paramount CEO David Ellison said that once the sale closes – which is not yet final, but seems very likely – then Paramount+ and HBO Max will be combined into a single streaming service with a new name, new pricing structure and new organization.
According to Variety’s Brian Steinberg, published on
It would be an odd move, given the cachet of the HBO brand: Warner CEO David Zaslav said last year that the HBO brand was “the highest quality in media,” and if you’re outside the United States, where Paramount has its largest catalog, then Paramount+ comes pretty far down the list of best streaming services.
But the naming shenanigans at HBO in recent years don’t give me confidence that the final decision will be the smartest one.
Paramount+ isn’t currently cracking down on password sharing, but if you think the upcoming Paramount+/HBO Max service will be similarly laissez-faire, you’ll probably be disappointed: The combined company will be $79 billion in debt and expected to embark on a series of cost cuts, including layoffs.
This means it’s much more likely to keep the additional $7.99/month membership fee and charge a similar one worldwide rather than remove it.
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