T-Mobile has announced that Apple Music and fifteen other additional streaming video providers, including various ABC, Disney, and FOX apps, are now covered by the carrier's Binge On program. Binge On now supports over 100 video services in the United States after launching eight months ago.
Binge On enables customers on a qualifying Simple Choice plan to stream unlimited 480p video from dozens of partnered services, led by Netflix, HBO NOW, Hulu, and YouTube, without any of the data consumed counting towards their monthly data bucket. Starting today, any Apple Music video content qualifies too.
The full list of new providers joining Binge On today include:
- ABC
- Apple Music
- Big Ten Network
- CEEK VR
- DISH Anywhere
- Disney Channel
- Disney Jr.
- Disney XD
- D-PAN.TV
- DramaFever
- FOX NOW
- FXNOW
- NAT GEO TV
- Shalom World
- Sioeye
- Tubi TV
T-Mobile expanded Binge On to PBS in June and thirteen video services in May, including NBC and video content from existing Music Freedom partners Google Play Music, Radio Disney, Spotify, and TIDAL, after adding 16 new Binge On and Music Freedom partners in April. YouTube, Google Play Movies, and others were added in March.
Apple Music's audio content has streamed for free on T-Mobile via Music Freedom since July 2015.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Frequent livestreams such as 'Slow Cooker Sundays' and always wears TMob branding/clothing every single day. You can see he's really encouraged so much customer and employee loyalty too. He always visits the troops on the ground. Most of his social media updates are followed by a sea of employees saying how proud they are to work for TMob.
A phone carrier is beginning to get an Apple-like cult following. That's like cheering on your favourite electricity company. A phone carrier can be cool and appeal to youngsters. This would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
Like him or not, he's a stunningly great CEO to already achieve what he has done.
Here is the question. If you can now stream pretty much all video and music for free and all text and phone calls are free, is it possible to dump your ISP and do everything via a tMobile account? For example can I my apple TV and ipad at home through a tmobile iphone? I currently burn through about 130 gig a month through my ISP, but most of that is music and video. So, if tmob does not cap the binge on feature, this could actually give me a good alternative.
Via http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/binge-on-streaming-video.html:"You still benefit with Binge On! When Binge On is enabled, you’ll get all the benefits of unlimited video streaming on your smartphone and when you use your phone as a mobile hotspot you can stream YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Sling, ESPN, Showtime, Starz and other participating services for free, without counting against your smartphone mobile hotspot."
Dislike. This goes against the principles of net neutrality. Sure it's awesome now that we're on MacRumors and this is positively affecting Apple Music, but next time it'll give another company you like disadvantages with the telco entering deals to make it cheaper to use a competitor.
But it doesn't negatively affect those who are already using services that aren't whitelisted; nothing is different for these users, so they aren't affected in any way.In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.
In the worst case, it can completely kill off smaller actors in the market that may even be better choices if they were competing on fair grounds. No thanks.
Well, if I really try, there are some glaring omissions (source: App Store's top video streaming categories):
[LIST=1]
* AMC
* Apple iTunes (rental)
* BET
* Cartoon Network
* CBS
* CMT
* CNN
* CW
* E!
* Food Network
* Golf
* HGTV
* IFC
* MLS
* MTV
* PGA
* Rugby
* Smithsonian
* Syfy
* TBS
* TNT
* Twitch
* UFC
* VH1
* Viceland
* Vimeo
* Xfinity
Regarding never ending net neutrality discussion, yes, T-Mobile is technically in violation of net neutrality principle. But practically speaking, is T-Mobile harming those that are not participating in Binge On partnership?
It is a complicated question to answer, largely because:
* T-Mobile is not a dominant carrier. If AT&T or Verizon offered a similar feature, it would be a lot more controversial.
* The participation is open to any video streaming service that provides legal contents with 1.5 Mbps throttled stream.
* T-Mobile is not charging customer nor partners for this feature.
* Customers can opt out with T-Mobile app, website, or SMS (although I doubt anyone but those on unlimited do).
* This benefit requires customers be on 3GB or higher (in practice, 6GB or higher as 3GB is no longer offered) plan. T-Mobile's 6GB plan is quite generous, with 20GB data rollover and many zero rated services (most music streaming and App Store downloads do not count toward data usage). In effect, most customers on 6GB plan probably do not worry about how much data they use regardless of whether video service is Binge On partner or not.