Normally, sharing your password to a streaming site is frowned upon. Netflix, Hulu, you name it; it’s not allowed in the terms of service and the companies generally don’t like it. HBO has taken the opposite stance, however. CEO Richard Plepler has publicly stated that account sharing is really just a marketing tool for building a newer generation of viewers. Account sharing allows more viewers to be exposed to HBO’s programming, which HBO hopes will get them “addicted” to their content. That means in the future, those viewers that were borrowing account passwords may eventually turn into paying subscribers.
It’s a bold stance, but it takes advantage of the nature of the way things work on the internet. People that just don’t want to pay for content will always find a way around it, but many users will eventually pay for a service if they see the content is worth paying for. HBO is embracing that, and I imagine it’ll pay off for them in the long run.
source: Android Spin
