HBO Initiates Crackdown on Max Password Sharing, Promising New Features

Get ready to say goodbye to sharing your friend’s HBO Max account, as the crackdown on password sharing is in the works. Streaming services have been clamping down on account sharing, and HBO is the latest to join the trend. Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO and president of global streaming and games, JB Perrette, mentioned that HBO will be sending out reminders to Max subscribers about password sharing soon.

Perrette explained that HBO will start with some gentle messaging to identify users who are possibly sharing passwords and offer a way to add members to the account starting in the first quarter of the upcoming year. As they gather data, the filters will become stricter throughout 2025, making it harder to share accounts.

While this crackdown might not be the most exciting news, HBO has shared some release windows for highly anticipated shows. The third season of Euphoria is aiming for a 2026 return with filming starting early next year. The White Lotus season 3 is set to arrive in February, and the Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is expected to premiere in the summer, as per Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, and sources suggest a late 2025 release. Additionally, The Last of Us season 2 is on track for a release in the second quarter of the year.

So, while you may have to invest a little more in your streaming subscriptions, there’s plenty of new content on the horizon to look forward to. It’s a bit of a consolation prize for the tightening restrictions on password sharing.