Charter Spectrum's CEO Continues To Whine About Streaming Password Sharing

Charter Spectrum's CEO Continues To Whine About Streaming Password Sharing

5 years ago
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https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181030/07222240938/charter-spectrums-ceo-continues-to-whine-about-streaming-password-sharing.shtml

For years now, streaming video providers like HBO and Netflix have taken a relatively-lax approach to password sharing. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has gone so far as to say he "loves" password sharing, and sees it as little more than free advertising. Execs at HBO (at least before the AT&T acquisition), have similarly viewed password sharing in such a fashion, arguing that young users in particular that share their parents password get hooked on a particular product via password sharing, then become full subscribers down the road once they actually have disposable income.

On the other side of the equation sits Charter CEO Tom Rutledge, one of the highest paid execs in media. He, in contrast, has long complained that he views password sharing as "piracy", and has consistently promised to crack down on the practice. Rutledge and his fellow executives gave a particularly rousing "get off my lawn" lecture at a media event last year: