T-Mobile Partners with Viacom to Bring Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, & More to Upcoming Mobile Video Service

T-Mobile and Viacom announced that the companies have reached a deal to bring Viacom’s top channels including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network to a mobile video service later this year. The deal enables T-Mobile to bring the linear channels to their more than 80 million customers.

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.”

Over the last year, Viacom has been aggressively expanding their content to cord cutters. Last summer, Viacom partnered with AT&T to bring their channels to AT&T WatchTV — the company’s skinny bundle which is included in AT&T’s Unlimited&More plans. Earlier this year, Viacom acquired ad-supported streaming TV service, Pluto TV for $340 million.

The company has also expanded their reach on Live TV Streaming Services. In January, Viacom agreed to a deal with Fubo to bring their channels to subscribers this Spring. Last week, after ending their content dispute with AT&T — it was announced that as part of an extension of their deal with AT&T, Viacom channels would be added to DIRECTV NOW newly launched DIRECTV NOW PLUS and MAX plans.

While details of T-Mobile’s new mobile video service are sparse, it appears that the company may have had a change of tune in the last few months.

In February, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said they “don’t have plans to develop an undifferentiated skinny bundle.” He continued: “We think there’s a more nuanced role for us to play in helping you get access to the great media brands out there that you love, and to be able to put to together your own media subscription in smaller pieces.”

As part of the announcement of the Viacom deal, Legere shared: “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.”