Madrid (EFE) some questions arise.
What will happen to shared accounts in Spain?
After the announcement made by the company this Wednesday, there has not been a “blackout” of the shared accounts. But Netflix has already started emailing subscribers to set their account’s primary location via device or app connection to an IP address, and gives them a date: before February 21.
If you want to share the account with someone who does not live in the main location, they explain in their communication, you must either transfer the profile or buy an extra subscriber pass.
Households that have a standard (12.99) or premium (17.99) account may add one or two extra members respectively, for which they must pay 5.99 euros per month. They will have their own profile, personalized recommendations, username and password.
Extra subscribers will have their own account and password, but their subscription is paid for by the person who invited them to share their Netflix account.
What happens if I go on a trip or have two houses?
“As always, subscribers will be able to watch Netflix on their personal devices or log in to another TV (in a hotel or vacation rental, for example),” the platform says.
In this regard, subscribers who have a second residence or frequently travel to the same location should open the Netflix app on their mobile devices while connected to their primary location’s Wi-Fi once a month, and then when they reach the second location.
Why does Netflix want to end these accounts?
With more than 231 million subscribers (they do not give data by country), Netflix is the main streaming service in the world, followed by Disney with 220 million among all its platforms. However, in early 2022, signs of stagnation began to arrive, with the company’s founders, Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos, vowing to “adjust its cost structure” to match its “current growth rate.”
The company laid off 300 employees and months later introduced advertising into its service (in Spain this contract is 5.49 euros per month, compared to 7.99 for the basic rate). Now take this step forward. “There are more than 100 million households that share their accounts, which reduces our ability to invest in creating great stories with the highest quality,” they explain.