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People sharing streaming passwords is costing the industry $500 million a year

Are you using someone else’s Netflix or HBO Go password? Then you might owe part of the $500 million that credential sharing cost the streaming industry last year

According to a report from market research firm Parks Associates, some 6 percent of U.S. households are piggybacking off of other people’s accounts for streaming services (i.e. Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prim, Hulu, etc.).

“Live-streaming usage has garnered media attention recently, but credential sharing is also a popular form of piracy in the connected world, one that has received varying responses from service providers and content owners,” said Glenn Hower, a research analyst at Parks Associates. “Credential sharing has a measurable impact on video services, particularly in the OTT [over-the-top] video service area, where young subscribers are active. The impact on OTT video revenues is especially troublesome as OTT providers are investing large sums of money to boost their original content offerings.”

From the article "People sharing streaming passwords is costing the industry $500 million a year" by Scott Sutton.

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