Netflix password sharing ban reaches Sky TV

Sky customers may have seen account sharing confirmation screens on their TV's recently, with prompts asking them to confirm whether their TV is in their Netflix Household.

Confused customers raised questions on social media, with the Sky Help Team on X, formally Twitter, pointing them to their guide on the new Netflix account sharing ban.

Netflix reminded UK customers of its password sharing ban in May 2023, when it also introduced features for those who share accounts.

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Password sharing crackdown

While Netflix terms and conditions have long prohibited account sharing, it took them until May 2023 to launch a crackdown on customers who shared their password among family and friends across different households.

Netflix users are allowed to share an account amongst multiple people in one household, however, giving people your password who don't live the same property is against their terms.

The streaming giant launched additional features including Extra Member and Profile Transfer in May, which allows users sharing an account to either add an additional member for an extra £4.99 per month, or transfer their viewing history to a new account.

However, when these features were bought in, they were limited to customers paying their Netflix bill directly, and didn't extend to those viewing through a Sky, Virgin Media, or BT TV pay TV subscription.

Sky TV

Sky TV customers may have recently seen a screen prompt asking them to confirm whether their TV (or viewing device) is within their Netflix Household.

We've seen that some customers are seeing messaging about Netflix Households for the first time. For our support on how to set up / update this, check out our guide: https://t.co/EmeThbwMzo pic.twitter.com/gFEqepNaie

â€" Sky Help Team (@SkyHelpTeam) November 18, 2023

The prompt is part of Netflix's crackdown on password sharing, clearly aiming to confirm specific IP addresses and devices used on a customer's account. This information can then help them determine when a user could be accessing an account from outside of the standard 'Netflix Household'.

However, there's a notable delay between the Netflix changes bought in during May 2023, and these updates reaching customers who pay their bill through a pay TV subscription.

It's also the case that these customers have less options available to them if they have been sharing their password, as it's not yet possible to add an Extra Member through Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV.

Extra Member is a cheap way to give Netflix access to additional users, as it costs just £4.99 to be added to the main account, although it is limited to viewing on just one device.

It's also worth pointing out that customers coming to Sky, Virgin Media, or BT TV for the first time who may already have Extra Members on their account, will lose this functionality if they want to pay their bill through their pay TV subscription, which often saves money.

Netflix pricing

Netflix increased the price of their subscription plans as of 18th October 2023, while the lowest cost ad-free 'Basic' plan was removed for new customers back in July 2023.

Existing customers on Basic now pay an extra £1 per month, so £7.99 per month, and this includes 1080p HD viewing with no adverts.

Those on the Ultra 4K plan, Premium, also saw a price rise in October, with monthly prices increasing from £15.99 to £17.99 per month.

The Standard with Ads (previously Basic with Ads) plan remains unchanged at just £4.99 for 1080p HD viewing with adverts, and the Standard plan (replacing Basic) also stays at £10.99.

However, for those who watch Netflix through Sky, Virgin Media or BT TV, the old 'Basic' plan is often still available, with pricing either bundled for free or included at discounted rates.

This can make bundling Netflix with a pay TV subscription attractive, although, as we've seen, customers will lose the new Extra Members feature.