In its latest Binge On move, T-Mobile exempts YouTube and several other video channels from counting towards a customer’s monthly data allotment. T-Mobile now reports 50 video services that their customers can stream without impacting their mobile data cap.
T-Mobile launched Binge On late last year as a part of their so called Un-carrier strategy. The hope is to exempt popular video streaming from mobile data allowances, creating a competitive advantage over their rivals.
“Now T-Mobile customers can watch all of the videos they want from these platforms without even touching their high-speed data,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile in a press release. “Customers at the Duopoly can either stop watching or pay bigger bills and surprise overage charges.”
T-Mobile Exempts YouTube
YouTube, one of the most popular video services today, was an initial hold out for T-Mobile’s Binge On campaign. They raised some concerns in how the program was being implemented and video streaming quality issues. But these issues have been worked out and the two companies have apparently made peace.
In addition to YouTube, new Binge On partners include Baeble Music, Discovery GO, ESNE TV, FilmOn.TV, Fox Business, Google Play Movies, KlowdTV, and Red Bull TV. They join a host of others, including Netflix, HBO, ESPN, and Hulu.
T-Mobile also shared some data regarding Binge On use, since its launch in November 2015:
- Customers are watching twice as many hours per day, in longer and more frequent viewing sessions, than before launch from free streaming services on qualifying plans with limited high-speed data.
- More than 57 million GB (57 petabytes) have been streamed without burning up customers’ high-speed data. That’s like watching Adele’s 15 minute Carpool Karaoke with James Corden more than 460 million times.
- One video provider has seen the number of active viewers spike 90% and watch-times nearly triple from customers with limited high-speed data.
Combining video and mobile is an increasing competitive strategy. AT&T offers a similar approach for customers who subscribe to both DirecTV and their wireless service. If subscribing to both, AT&T offers unlimited data usage for mobile, allowing customers to stream video to their mobile device without worry of a data cap.
These and other video streaming efforts have raised concerns regarding net neutrality. Concerns that will surely be played out during the ongoing net neutrality/open Internet proceedings with the FCC.
