What are the Password Rules For Streaming Services?

C'mon now... don't deny it.  We've all given out our password for Netflix, or have at least inquired about it from another friend or family member once upon a time.  I've totally done it.  You're not alone... but how do you know you've really broken the rules?  Let's find out.

The reason I'm asking is because during Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, host Andy Samberg gave out a working password to HBO Now, the cable network’s standalone streaming service. That password worked Sunday night, but was turned off by Monday morning.

So... what are the password rules for streaming video services?

It seems anywhere from 6 to 46 percent of people admit to sharing their streaming video service password with someone outside of their household. The rules for sharing differ for each company from Netflix to Hulu to HBO Now to Showtime, which is owned by CBS. There is one consistent keyword, though: household.

Netflix

According to spokesperson Marlee Tart, “Password sharing, outside family use, is against our terms of service.” Netflix allows accounts to stream on two screens at once for $7.99/month and four screens for four dollars more.

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime recently changed its rules, because it’s now more specific about defining a household. Two adults, who each must have their own Amazon account, and up to four children are allowed on one account. Two devices are allowed to stream at one time.

Hulu

Hulu doesn’t specify a household, but only allows one stream at a time.

HBO Now

“Like the traditional HBO service, we view it as a household subscription,” said Laura Young, an HBO spokesperson. “However, if we see a level of sharing that is impactful to our business, there are other tools of enforcement available to us.”

HBO Now allows up to three simultaneous streams.

The CEO of HBO, Richard Plepler, has previously said password sharing is something his company tracks, but is not currently a big problem.

So now that you've got a better idea on where these companies draw the line, will you dare cross it to help someone out just so they can save a couple bucks a month?