Over A Third Of SVOD Customers Share Streaming Passwords

It makes sense for the phenomenon to be so widespread: after all, why would two roommates or family members or even good friends have separate video streaming accounts when they can share a subscription? But, this ‘mooching’ phenomenon can eat into subscriber growth and profit.

The password-sharing number, from a USA Today poll, dovetails with a recent survey from Parks Associates that found such credential-sharing costs over-the-top (OTT) providers $500 million in revenue this year.

Parks found that 6% of US broadband households use an OTT video service that is paid by a person living outside of the household, but that number increases among millennials: 20% of OTT users aged 18-24 use an OTT video service paid by someone outside the home, the highest of any age group. Only 10% of OTT subscribers 25-34 admit to this behavior.