Companies to build disruptive mobile TV options

Bellevue, Washington & New York — April 3, 2019 — T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced that the companies have entered into a significant content distribution agreement. Under terms of the deal, Viacom’s portfolio of leading brands — including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount and more — will play a key role in T-Mobile’s delivery of compelling new mobile video services to consumers later this year. The deal enables the Un-carrier to bring together live linear feeds of Viacom channels as well as a broad range of on-demand content to serve T-Mobile’s nearly 80 million customers.

“Viacom represents the best of the best, most-popular brands on cable, so they are an amazing partner for us!” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “TV programming has never been better, but consumers are fed up with rising costs, hidden fees, lousy customer service, non-stop BS. And Macgyvering together a bunch of subscriptions, apps and dongles isn’t much better. That’s why T-Mobile is on a mission to give consumers a better way to watch what they want, when they want.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with T-Mobile on a new entertainment service that represents an important evolution in how audiences consume our content,” said Bob Bakish, Viacom President and CEO. “Today’s landmark announcement marks a major step forward in our strategy to accelerate the presence of our brands on mobile and other next-generation platforms, and we’re so excited to partner with T-Mobile to provide millions of subscribers with access to our networks and more choice in a new service that will be unlike any other in the market.”

Last year, T-Mobile acquired next generation cable TV disruptor Layer3 TV, and with that team, talent and technology, the company has been at work readying its first wave of home and mobile TV offerings. In recent months, T-Mobile executives have shared some of the company’s plans to launch first with an in-home TV solution, designed to replace cable for the 5G era, and longer term, executives say the company will introduce mobile TV services beginning with Viacom as a cornerstone launch partner.