The percentage of consumers who say they use one or more subscription streaming service belonging to a friend or family member has declined slightly across most major platforms, a series of consumer surveys conducted by Hub Entertainment Research shows.
As this graphic reveals, the small downward trend began in the second quarter of last year, right around the time that Netflix initiated its big global crackdown of password-sharers here in the U.S.
Venturing into seemingly dangerous terrain, Hub claims that, "Viewers who use others’ passwords are more likely to be younger, non-white and have kids."
The research company also said that password sharers tend to be TV lovers.
"It’s a mistake to assume people who use another’s SVOD password do it because they are reluctant to pay for TV," Hub added. "When it comes to paid subscriptions, more than 4 in 10 of this segment pay for a hefty 6 or more TV services. And among MVPD and vMVPD subscribers, the password sharers are also much heavier users of premium cable channels. In fact, they are heavier users of nearly all sources of TV, both paid and free, compared to those who do not share passwords."
