How to watch multiple streaming services for less - The Washington Post

Share accounts, as much as you’re comfortable

Yes, you are able to share logins for your streaming accounts, but the exact rules vary from company to company. Penalties for breaking these rules are typically murkyand mild. There’s little evidence any companies have taken legal action for casual sharing, but it’s more serious for people stealing accounts or sharing with many people for profit.

If you’re worried, start by checking the terms of service for each company to see if they specify who you can or cannot share with (we break some down below). Most will use the term “household,” but the companies we spoke to largely declined to say if that definition included close family living elsewhere, or if people had to share the same primary addresses a certain amount of time. Some specifically allow sharing with immediate family regardless of location, such as HBOMax and Apple TV Plus.

Netflix has come out to say “household” means you share the same primary address most of the time, which would rule out college kids, second homes and possibly anyone who travels full-time for work. It will enforce its rules by checking your IP address, which is specific to your home.

There’s been an industry-wide lax approach to account-sharing enforcement, and it’s created an odd situation for many TV watchers who mix and match logins with family or friends. The companies are vague about what they enforce and how, and have a history of embracing sharing accounts to build up buzz and user numbers. They could be keeping the door open to cracking down if and when it’s better for business.

We asked the top eight streaming services if and how they enforce account sharing.

• Netflix: The company is going to start going after sharing with people outside the same home and will use your IP address to track offenders. It’s currently testing enforcement in three countries by pushing people to pay for their own streaming for a lower cost and will expand to more places by the end of March 2023. You can stream on one to four screens at a time, depending on your plan.
• Prime Video: You can share a Prime account with one other adult, but Amazon did not clarify if they need to live at the same address or say if it is enforcing unwanted sharing.
• Disney Plus: Disney terms do not specify whom you can or can’t share your login with, but a Disney account allows four streams at a time, seven profiles, and downloads on up to 10 devices. The company says it has technology to flag “suspicious” activity but did not say what actions it takes or what qualifies as “suspicious.”
• HBO Max: The HBO Max terms say you can add up to five user profiles for members of your immediate family or people in your household, meaning it’s okay if you’re sharing with family in a different state.
• Paramount Plus: You can watch it on three devices at once and make up to 6 profiles. The terms specify you can only share it with members of your household. The company did not specify how or if it enforces other sharing.
• Hulu: On Hulu, two devices can stream at a time, you can add six profiles and use it on three mobile devices. Its terms say you can only share with “members of your household,” but the company declined to say how it defines household or how it enforces sharing. It’s owned by Disney and uses the same technology for detecting suspicious activity.
• Discovery Plus: This service doesn’t specify whom you can share your login with in its terms and did not return a request to comment on its enforcement policies. You can stream on up to four devices at once.
• Apple TV Plus: This is a unique one in the bunch because of Apple’s family sharing options and greater control over its services. You can share your Apple TV account with up to five family members anywhere in the same country using Family Sharing, but it’s also difficult to just lend someone your password and login like you would with other services. (You can sign in to watch Apple TV through a browser.)