Sprint targets Verizon customers with online ads
Sprint is taking the carrier price wars as low as it can go: the operator is reportedly offering new customers who bring their own devices a year of free, unlimited voice, text and data service.
Bloomberg reports that deal, which expires June 30, “requires a new Sprint SIM card and enrollment in an autopay program. In exchange customers get 10 gigabytes of hot spot access and high-definition video viewing.” Customers must bring their own devices.
Sprint is targeting Verizon customers in particular — as T-Mobile US has been as well, in recent offers such as its #getoutofthered campaign. However, Sprint is keeping the freebie deal somewhat quiet — it’s not doing a major media push, but promoting the offer through online ads. A Sprint spokesperson told RCR Wireless News that the program “is digitally based – not in our retail stores – and very targeted. …This is targeted at Verizon customers but there is no advertising planned for this – it is all digital-based and self-service.”
According to the company web site for the offer — which leads off with “Stop feeling ripped off by Verizon” — customers must purchase a SIM card and pay a couple of nominal monthly fees, but that appears to be the only fine print. There’s no contract requirement, either — customers can get the year of service free, and then continue with Sprint service at $60 per month for the first line.
Sprint also offering six months of free Tidal streaming
Sprint is boosting its content-related offerings as well. The free service offer comes on the heels of a new promotion for six months of free music and content streaming via the Tidal HiFi service. Sprint purchased 33% of Tidal, backed by artist Jay Z, in January — but Tidal has had leadership struggles, with a revolving door of CEOs.
“We recognize that music streaming is one of the most important services for consumers,” said Marcelo Claure, Sprint president and CEO, in a statement. He went on to note that “more than two-thirds of mobile subscribers stream music an average of 45 minutes per day, making our partnership with Tidal a natural fit for Sprint.”
After the promo period, Sprint customers can continue Tidal Premium service for $9.99 a month (in line with other music streaming service offers) or Tidal HiFi for $19.99 per month. In conjunction with that Tidal offer, Sprint was also pushing four lines of unlimited data, voice and text for $22.50 per line, with a fifth line for free before it started its new, even-lower unlimited offer.
https://twitter.com/sprint/status/874265156812984322
