Netflix subscriptions soar after password crackdown

Netflix saw a huge spike in subscriptions in the days after it started cracking down on password sharing, according to an analysis released Friday by the television analytics company Antenna.

The streaming giant posted four of its best days of U.S. user acquisition ever, Antenna reported, with nearly 100,000 daily sign-ups on May 23, after it had alerted subscribers to new password rules.

It netted 73,000 new daily sign-ups on average after the crackdown, marking a 102% increase over the prior 60-day average.

Although cancellations also increased, they were more than offset by new subscriptions, so the ratio of sign-ups to cancels increased as well.

The password-sharing crackdown began May 23, when Netflix started sending emails to members who were known to be sharing accounts outside their household.

“A Netflix account is for use by one household,” according to the email update from the company. “Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.”