More celebrities are looking to attach their names to wireless networks that your cell phone can use. Several big names are also venturing into the market for MVNOs.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s family was the most recent to join the list with the launch of Trump Mobile last week, Inside Towers reported. Actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett recently launched SmartLess Mobile, a name that mirrors the trio’s “SmartLess Podcast.” Now live across the contiguous U.S. and Puerto Rico, SmartLess Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s (NASDAQ: TMUS) 5G Network.
Another wireless provider with ties to fame is Mint Mobile. While not launched by celebrities, Ryan Reynolds purchased an ownership stake in Mint in 2019. Mint’s parent, the Ka’ena Corporation, was later acquired by T-Mobile in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion, according to the Associated Press.
MVNOs have also emerged outside of high-profile brands or launch teams. Straight Talk and Cricket are now owned by Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T), respectively. Still, traditional celebrity endorsements are common.
What are these cell services offering? Why were they launched?
Trump’s sons said the new product, called the “T1 Phone,” will be available for $499 in August — but notes that this device won’t be designed or made by Trump Mobile. Still, the company emphasized that these phones will be built in the U.S.
Experts have shared skepticism about that being possible in two months. And beyond the future T1 Phone, others stress that a monthly cell service fee of just under $50 is pricey compared to other MVNO options today, reports the Associated Press.
“It’s not actual lower pricing. It’s really trading on the fan base, if you will, of Trump,” said Ben Bentzin, an associate professor of instruction at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
T-Mobile-owned Mint advertises “flexible, buy-in-bulk” plans that range from $15 to $30 a month. Each option includes unlimited talk and text nationwide, but vary depending on plan length and data amount.
SmartLess Mobile’s plans also start at $15 a month. Depending on the data amount purchased, that base fee can rise to $30 — but all of its plans similarly offer unlimited talk and text using T-Mobile’s network. When launching last week, SmartLess underlined that its goal is to help people stop paying for the data they don’t use, Inside Towers reported.
MVNOs have proven to be attractive acquisitions to big wireless carriers over the years. But whether or not the star factor promises significant demand has yet to be seen for the market’s most recent entrants.
For the more established Mint Mobile, Reynolds’ investment is a success story. The 25 percent stake that the actor reportedly owned in 2023, when the company announced that it would be acquired by T-Mobile, was estimated to give him a personal windfall of over $300 million in cash and stock. It’s no surprise that the potential of such business returns might attract other celebrities to make similar investments, Bentzin notes.
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