HBO Max to clamp down on streaming account sharing

The crackdown will start next month, echoing similar moves by Netflix and Disney+, which have helped boost subscription numbers.  

Over the past month, HBO Max has sent “soft” messages to users asking them to sign up for additional account access, which can be skipped.   

However, when speaking at the company’s second-quarter earnings conference, Warner Bros Discovery CEO of Global Streaming and Games JB Perrette confirmed that those messages will become fixed in September 2025, requiring customers to register for access. Perrette also said that HBO Max expects to see more benefits from the crackdown in the fourth quarter and into 2026.  

Warner Bros Discovery added 3.4 million subscribers for the second quarter to reach 125.7 million overall, with 3.2 million of those from international markets. This follows the launch of HBO Max in Australia in March 2025.  

HBO Max also has plans to launch in the UK/Ireland, Germany and Italy in early 2026, bringing to an end carriage deals with other broadcasters.  

Warner Bros Discovery CEO and President David Zaslav said: “There are some markets where people have been watching The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus and House of the Dragon on a different platform. Now it’s going to move to HBO Max. In that case, we have a hugely engaged population who will be spending a lot more time watching. We’re seeing that in Australia.” 

Media mogul and cable TV pioneer John Malone recently decided not to seek re-election to the board of Warner Bros Discovery and instead take on the role of Chairman Emeritus. Discover more here.