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Despite once tweeting “love is sharing a password,” Netflix has announced a crackdown on password sharing in order to encourage additional subscriptions. This policy has already rolled out in some countries and is likely to hit the U.S. sooner rather than later.

To find out what Netflix users plan to do once they can no longer share passwords, in February, PasswordManager.com surveyed 1,250 Netflix users who share an account with people outside their households.

Key findings:

  • 6 in 10 users say the policy is unfair, yet 2 in 3 subscribers likely to continue paying once password sharing ends
  • Half of Netflix “mooches” would consider paying for their own subscription
  • Users still more likely to pay for Netflix over other streaming services

 

6 in 10 Say the End of Netflix Password Sharing is Unfair

When asked if they were aware of Netflix’s new policy, 3 in 4 respondents said they were aware of it while 1 in 4 had not heard of the upcoming changes.

When asked how they feel about the policy, 59% of respondents say it is ‘somewhat’ (27%) or ‘very’ (32%) unfair.

However, according to subsequent findings, Netflix’s plan may work to encourage new sign-ups despite the high reported level of dissatisfaction with the new policy.

2 in 3 Netflix Subscribers Who Share Their Account Unlikely to Cancel Over Password Crackdown

Of the total 1,250 respondents, 3 in 4 reported that they either pay for a Netflix subscription by themselves (49%) or share the cost with one or more people (27%).

Two-thirds of current subscribers say they are ‘somewhat’ (28%) or ‘very’ (38%) likely to continue paying for a Netflix account, even though they will no longer able to share with those outside their household.

7 in 10 Who Share Subscription Cost Say it’s Too Expensive, But Majority Can’t Live Without Netflix

Of the 27% of respondents who share the cost of a Netflix subscription with other people, 68% (or 19% of the total sample) share with someone who lives outside of their household, which they will no longer be able to do once the end of password sharing hits the U.S.

Of this group, 68% ‘somewhat’ (39%) or ‘strongly’ (29%) agree that a Netflix subscription is too expensive to afford on their own.

However, 60% also say they are ‘somewhat’ (32%) or ‘very’ (27%) likely to continue paying for the account on their own once password sharing comes to an end, indicating that their love for Netflix series will ultimately outweigh the cost to their wallets.

Half of Netflix “Mooches” Would Consider Paying for Their Own Subscription

Of the 1 in 4 respondents who use someone else’s account without helping to pay, two-thirds say the account holder lives outside of their household. In fact, a small percentage even report that the account owner isn’t aware that they have their Netflix password.

Of this group, half say they would actually be likely to pay for their own subscription if they were cut off from their current account, indicating that Netflix’ plan of encouraging additional subscribers may come to fruition.

Despite End of Password Sharing, Netflix Remains Most Popular Streaming Service

When respondents were asked how likely they would be to pay for other streaming services if they adopted a similar password sharing policy as Netflix (as some are predicting may happen), Netflix was still the clear favorite.

Methodology

This survey was commissioned by PasswordManager.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish on February 15, 2023. In total, 1,250 participants in the U.S. were surveyed. All participants were screened to ensure they share a Netflix account with people outside of their household.

The survey used a convenience sampling method, and to avoid bias from this component Pollfish employs Random Device Engagement (RDE) to ensure both random and organic surveying. Learn more about Pollfish’s survey methodology or contact [email protected] for more information.