Cartesian releases report How Consumers Access Streaming Video: The Risks of Credential Sharing
December 20, 2018
Video and Broadcasting
News
Cartesian's survey report, How Consumers Access Streaming Video: The Risks of Credential Sharing, references findings from recent consumer research to highlight growing content security concerns for content owners and service providers.
--
Credential sharing is costing video providers millions in lost revenue New research from Cartesian shows streaming video providers miss out on subscribers by ignoring credential sharing Boston, USA 20 December 2018 What has been an effective strategy for OTT video providers to win new subscribers appears to be backfiring. New research by specialist consulting firm, Cartesian, reveals that 27% of consumers access streaming video content using account credentials borrowed or stolen from someone they don't live with.
In our work with streaming video providers, we make the distinction between credential sharing within the household and outside of it , says Sam Kornstein, VP of Strategy and Analytics at Cartesian. These behaviors are seen differently by providers and consumers, and providers increasingly have reason to be concerned.
Sharing within a household is normally allowed within subscription contracts; but, sharing outside of a household is not. And yet 42% of those who use someone else's password to access a streaming video service indicate they would be willing to pay for the content if it wasn't easily accessible.
So why do consumers engage in credential sharing? Over half (56%) of the respondents that use someone else's credentials to access a streaming video service state they already pay enough for content a worrying figure in the wake of new streaming services entering the market in the US and across the world.
Or rather, is it that streaming video providers make it too easy? In the survey, three out of ten (27%) people use someone else's credentials say the main reason they do so is because it's easy and convenient . Others say it's simply because the content they want is not available on services they already pay for.
In the report, How Consumers Access Streaming Video: The Risks of Credential Sharing , Cartesian defines illegitimate credential sharing as sharing account access details [i.e. user ID and password] with someone outside of the household for which the subscription was purchased .
The company also categorizes the three main types of sharing as 1) Family & Friends, 2) Extended Network, and 3) Theft. Sharing with friends and family often leads to credentials being circulated across an extended network, which in rare cases can then result in theft. In Cartesian's survey, credential sharers name close friends (29%) and non-household relatives (39%) as sources for account credentials.
In addition to lost revenue, the report outlines other risks associated with uncontrolled credential sharing including higher costs, breaking content licensing agreements, and customer data security breaches. The latter is of increasing concern to companies with the threat of hefty penalties if security measures are found to be lacking.
Cartesian outlines their solution which uses data science, machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect, prevent and stop unwanted credential sharing, while allowing operators to continue to provide a rich customer experience.
Our streaming video credential sharing and prevention solution uses the full scope of viewing data that streaming video services already collect to identify which accounts are engaged in credential sharing or theft, and to take sensible steps to prevent this behavior. You need to analyze nuanced patterns to determine whether complex usage behaviors are actually legitimate use or rather credential sharing, says Kornstein. We are constantly updating our platform with the latest data science methods to keep our clients ahead.
Cartesian surveyed 1,183 American consumers in November 2018 that represent a cross-range of ages and households on how they access streaming video, and the drivers behind credential sharing.
About Cartesian, Inc.
Cartesian, Inc. is a specialist provider of consulting services and managed solutions to leaders in the global communications, technology and digital media industries.
With over 25 years of experience assessing and delivering solutions for the media and entertainment sector, we offer a holistic approach to content security. Cartesian's content security services include anti-piracy services, security consulting, the Farncombe Security Audit , and streaming video credential sharing detection and prevention services.
Cartesian's Streaming Video Credential Sharing Detection & Prevention Solution:
Integrates with existing TV Everywhere and OTT platforms.
Screens for all relevant credential sharing and theft patterns, leveraging proprietary and industry-leading clustering and geospatial dispersion algorithms.
Provides lists of accounts that have been compromised and an ongoing platform-wide health check.
Cartesian's clients include TV broadcasters, video service providers, equipment vendors, and network operators. The company has offices in Boston, Kansas City, London, New York and Paris.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
Cartesian releases report How Consumers Access Streaming Video: The Risks of Credential Sharing 
