There has beensome confusion about this change, as T-Mobile has updated and rolled back updates to itsNetflix On Us support pagetoday. But as things currently stand, it appears that starting January 24, T-Mobile customers who have been utilizing the now-retired Netflix Basic benefit included in plans such as the Go5G and Magenta tiers will have their free Netflix subscription changed to the Standard (with ads) plan (viaAndroid Authority).
Nothing should change for any customers of T-Mobile who have access to the Netflix Standard tier (without ads) through their current data plan, only for those who’ve been using Netflix Basic. People will still be able to upgrade their Netflix account through T-Mobile for cheaper than individually signing up for the streaming service, as the benefit is basically a $7 credit towards Netflix.
It’s not all doom and gloom to be on the ad-supported Netflix plan, though. Instead of just being able to use one screen for Netflix like the Basic, you can use two. Streams are now sent in 1080p instead of just 720p. Is it really that worth those two upgrades to have to deal with ads, though?
Additionally, from The Mobile Report,Hulu On Us will now be a thing for some T-Mobile customers. New and existingT-Mobile customers with the Go5G Next plan will get access to Hulu (with ads, of course). Go5G already includes Apple TV+ and MLB.TV for its customers.
While all Go5G plans will get ad-supported Hulu On Us, T-Mobile is taking a targeted approach with Hulu for customers on its Magenta-branded plans, meaning only some people who get messages and notifications inviting them to get Hulu on T-Mobile will be eligible. Oddly, the offer appears to be tied to whether or not you already have access to a Netflix On Us benefit. Magenta customers who have the Standard (without ads) Netflix plan via T-Mobile will get six months of Hulu ad-free, while those who have the Basic (with ads) Netflix plan will get Hulu indefinitely.
Streaming services used to be cheaper, but they keepballooning in price while taking away features and adding commercials to their services. Phone plan prices keep going up too. None of it is consumer-friendly, and while in T-Mobile’s case, customers do get a higher-resolution picture and simpler multi-person viewing experience for streaming services, it comes at a cost. Not much has changed withT-Mobile’s Go5G planssince early 2023, so combined with the weird rebrand of its rewards app and the included ad-based Netflix and Hulu accounts, there are question marks heading into 2024 for the company.
