T-Mobile adds free Netflix to take on rivals (TMUS, NFLX)

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September 10, 2017 8:40 AM

T-Mobile is offering free Netflix subscriptions for T-Mobile One customers with two or more voice lines

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T-Mobile is offering free Netflix subscriptions for T-Mobile One customers with two or more voice lines. The wireless carrier is positioning the promotion, set to launch, as a counter to offerings by Verizon and AT&T, which leverage their own media holdings to give customers access to free content.

The offering taps into the growing demand for mobile video. In 2016, mobile video accounted for more than 50% of total mobile data traffic, and that’s set to reach 75% of total mobile data traffic by 2021, according to Ericsson.

But T-Mobile could also be using the offering to promote the strength of its network. Both Verizon’s and AT&T’s networks slowed, according to Ookla, likely in part a result of the introduction of their unlimited plans. Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s network speeds have been unaffected.

The ability to offer high-speed internet alongside free mobile video streaming is likely to appeal to US consumers, and could help the carrier’s growth in the highly competitive US market. High-speed networks are a “must-have” for 84% of US consumers when choosing a wireless provider, according to BI Intelligence’s exclusive Digital Telecom Consumer Survey.

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