• by Alex Weprin , January 4, 2019

In the world of streaming video, there is a widespread problem that executives are happy to discuss in private, but rarely address in public: credential sharing.

With streaming video services so easy to subscribe to and watch on multiple devices, many consumers are sharing passwords to these services between friends and family members. Thus far, most streaming video companies have allowed the practice to continue.

But as the streaming video landscape becomes more crowded, and the desire to grow revenue continues, a crackdown is coming.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, one company is launching new software designed to tackle this problem. 

Synamedia, formerly Cisco's Service Provider Video Software Solutions business but now an independent company, will be showing off its “Credential Sharing Insight” offering at CES.

Credential Sharing Insight will live within the company’s existing video security portfolio of services, and uses “AI, machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify, monitor and analyze credentials sharing activity across consumer accounts,” the company says.

The hope is to identify casual sharing between friends and family, then find ways to monetize it without alienating consumers. At the same time, it can identify and take action against fraudulent accounts selling passwords for profit.

Synamedia’s clients include a veritable who’s who of the media and telecom space, such as Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Disney and Liberty Global. As these companies expand their OTT and streaming offerings, the need to keep tabs on password sharing becomes even more critical.