HBO Max is launching a global password-sharing crackdown, just in time to annoy everyone before it gets potentially 'shut down' anyway

Date:
Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:49:08 +0000

Description:
HBO Max says its crackdown on account sharing will go global in 2026 but analysts say the streamer's future is uncertain with the Paramount merger

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
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now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter HBO Max plans to roll out its password crackdown globally but HBO Max may be folded into Paramount+ after the planned merger HBO's extra member fee is currently US only HBO Max's crackdown on account/password sharing is rolling out worldwide, unless the streaming service gets shut down first. That's according to HBO Max's CEO and president of global streaming, JB Perrette. Although he didn't say that second bit.

Perrette was speaking to investors on the streamer's latest earnings call,
and as FlatpanelsHD reports, he said: "We are in the second inning of our password sharing enforcement. It is just beginning to get scale. It has not expanded globally at all. That will start in 2026."

Or will it? 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. Article continues below You may like HBO Max UK gets confirmed launch date here's what you need to know HBO Max price: how much does it cost, is it cheaper than Netflix and Disney+, and more big questions answered Sky TV is raising its prices ahead
of HBO Max's UK debut HBO is known for premium shows including our current favorite, The Pitt (Image credit: HBO) What's going on at HBO Max? HBO Max's future currently depends on whether regulators approve the acquisition of HBO Max's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance.
According to at least one prominent media analyst, if that goes ahead then
HBO Max could be shut down by the end of 2027.

Paramount CEO David Ellison has said that once the sale goes through which isn't yet definite, but appears highly likely then Paramount+ and HBO Max will be combined into a single streaming service with a new name, pricing structure and organization.

According to Variety's Brian Steinberg, posting on X , a research note by MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman to investors says that "We expect HBO Max to essentially be shut down at the end of 2027".

That would be a strange move, given the brand cachet of HBO: Warner CEO David Zaslav said last year that the HBO brand was "the highest quality in media", and if you're outside the US, where Paramount has its biggest catalog, then Paramount+ comes pretty far down the list of the best streaming services .
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trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

But the naming shenanigans at HBO in recent years don't make me confident
that the final decision will be the smartest one.

Paramount+ doesn't currently crack down on password sharing, but if you're thinking the future Paramount+/HBO Max service will also be laissez faire, you're probably going to be disappointed: the combined company will be carrying a reported $79 billion in debt and is expected to embark on a round of cost-cutting including layoffs.

That means it's much more likely to keep the $7.99/month extra member fee and charge a similar one worldwide than scrap it. Thinking of buying a new TV?
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/hbo-max-is-launching-a-global-pass word-sharing-crackdown-just-in-time-to-annoy-everyone-before-it-gets-potential ly-shut-down-anyway


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