By HU Yujing
A good number of Tencent Video subscribers took to social media to complain that their accounts got blocked recently. Tencent said the platform now only allows the same account to be operated on two different devices simultaneously.
In January, other video streaming platforms Youku and iQiyi made similar rules in a bid to crack down on account sharing.
Account sharing seems to be a common problem among video streamers worldwide. Netflix rolled out new policies in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain last week which highlights new limits on how accounts can be accessed by users who don’t live together.
Some Netflix plans have been updated with the ability to add member slots for users who don’t live in the same house for an extra CA.99 (40.82 yuan, US.98) a month. Under the new model, standard users can pay for one extra slot, and premium users can pay for two. Basic plans are not able to add additional members outside of their households.
In an open letter to the user,s Netflix said “over 100 million households are sharing accounts,” which impacts the platform’s “ability to invest in great new TV and films.”
Chinese platforms roll out new rules for the same reason. With fewer devices allowed for a single account, they want more to pay for their drama series and movies.
In Q3 last year, more than 50 percent of iQiyi’s 7.47 billion yuan (US$1.09 billion) revenue came from subscriptions. It is only natural for the platforms to discourage account sharing outside a household. The monthly subscription fee of iQiyi has risen from 15 yuan two years ago to 25 yuan. More than 100 million people have subscribed.
Raising prices bring more cash to the platforms but eventually drives users away. Content matters the most. Criminal drama series The Knockout is a huge hit in China and is exclusively steaming on iQiyi. The platform can rest assured with more subscribers for now. But when the series ends, it is not policies, but another hit that makes video streaming platforms thrive.
