The “Un-Carrier” today announced that Amazon Music, Amazon’s add-on streaming service that comes free with your Prime subscription, is now a part of T-Mobile’s Music Freedom package, an offshoot of T-Mobile’s Binge On streaming consortium. ESPN Radio has also joined the list, along with several video additions to Binge On, including Nickelodeon, Spike, Epix, and others — 16 new partners in all.
For the uninitiated, this means that streaming any of the new services on T-Mobile’s network will not count against participating customers’ data plans. T-Mobile Simple Choice customers with a qualifying plan — which essentially includes any T-Mobile plans with a data package — are automatically opted into Binge On.
The new partners join a diverse list of top streaming services that have opted into the service, from major video streamers like HBO Now and Netflix to major music streamers like Apple Music, Spotify, and others.
In fact, while T-Mobile’s Binge On streaming plan now has over 60 services included in the list, the Music Freedom plan has also amassed a near-comprehensive list of audio streamers, all of which let customers listen to their heart’s content without losing any of their precious data. To date, the full list of music streamers partnered with Binge On includes Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music, Rhapsody, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and even SoundCloud. Jay Z’s Tidal remains one of the few major streamers yet to join.
Some lesser know services added today include Dailymotion, OVGuide, Ownzones, Viki, YipTV, and 120 Sports.
As T-Mobile has continued to add partnerships, Binge On in particular has come under fire from some critics who count the services limitation of 480p standard definition video streaming and prioritization of select content providers tantamount to a violation of the open and fair Internet rules laid out by net neutrality regulations. However, CEO John Legere has come out to defend the practice, saying Binge On is a boon to customers and streamers alike thanks to an increase in streaming on T-Mobile’s network, adding that the service is completely optional to users.
Criticism aside, for those thinking about joining the T-Mobile family, Binge On and Music Freedom offer the enticing ability to take all of your favorite streaming services mobile, without ever worrying about data overages. And with more and more services getting on board, it’s beginning to look like a win for all involved.
