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Do the T-Mobile On Us streamers have ads? Can you pay to upgrade?

Do the T-Mobile On Us streamers have ads? Can you pay to upgrade?

The cell phone provider has long made streaming services available at no costs for its providers, but if you want to go ad-free, you’ll have to pay more.

With 12+ years in digital media, he has led teams at CNET, Digital Trends and more. As a longtime cord-cutter, he knows the ins and outs of what and how we're all watching.

T-Mobile is well-known for its On Us streaming benefits, offering subscribers access to popular streaming services as part of their mobile plans. If you’re a T-Mobile customer, or are considering becoming one, you might be wondering about the specifics of these included streaming benefits, and if you are use to ad-free streaming, you might be curious about whether or not they include commercials and your upgrade options.

Cord-cutters are pretty torn these days; some are willing to tolerate ads while others can’t stand the thought of sitting through commercials. Regardless of which side of the argument you’re on, T-Mobile’s offers can meet your expectations, but there are a few things you should know.

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T-Mobile Streaming Benefits

T-Mobile’s plans offer unlimited talk, text, and even come with some free streaming services.

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Do T-Mobile On Us streaming services have ads?

The presence of advertisements in your T-Mobile On Us streaming services depends on the specific platform included with your plan. T-Mobile typically partners with services to offer their standard ad-supported tiers. Out of the services offered, both the Hulu and Netflix plans that T-Mobile includes will be the ad-supported variants, while Apple TV+ is ad-free (because there is no ad-supported version of the streamer). These are all the same options that you could sign up for as a regular consumer, and none of the companies have created special plans for T-Mobile.

The complimentary MLB.TV subscription, often available through T-Mobile Tuesdays, offers live streams of out-of-market games, which will typically include the standard broadcast commercials that are part of live television. In addition, T-Mobile offers SiriusXM and Pandora Premium subscriptions, though these are only available for a few months. Some Sirius channels may have promotional material, but other than that, both of these services are ad-free on the music streaming side.

If you just can’t live with ads, you can opt to upgrade your account and pay the difference to make the ads go away.

How to upgrade your accounts

In most cases, you can upgrade the On Us streaming services provided by T-Mobile to a higher-tier plan, such as an ad-free version or one with additional features. However, it’s important to understand that such an upgrade will typically incur an additional cost, which you would pay directly to the streaming service, or in some cases, it may be added to your T-Mobile bill. The On Us benefit generally applies to the specific tier included with your plan, and upgrading means you will be responsible for the difference in cost.

Here’s a general guide on how upgrades typically work:

Netflix: If you have the Netflix Standard with Ads plan through T-Mobile, you can usually upgrade to an ad-free Standard or Premium plan directly through your Netflix account settings. T-Mobile will continue to cover the value of the Standard with Ads portion, and you will pay the remaining difference to Netflix.

Hulu: For Hulu (with Ads) subscribers through T-Mobile, you can often upgrade to the Hulu (No Ads) plan or a bundle that includes other services (like Disney+ and ESPN+). However, a crucial point to note is that if you upgrade your Hulu subscription from the T-Mobile-provided Hulu (with Ads) plan, your Hulu subscription will no longer be complimentary as part of your T-Mobile plan, and you will be responsible for all subscription fees resulting from any Hulu plan switch.

Apple TV+: Since Apple TV+ is already ad-free, there isn’t an “ad-free” upgrade option. If you wish to combine it with other Apple services, you might consider an Apple One subscription, which would involve managing your subscription through Apple.

If you’re having trouble with your upgrade, you may want to try the following steps:

  1. Activate your T-Mobile benefit: Ensure your On Us streaming service is activated and linked to your T-Mobile account.
  2. Go to the streaming service’s website or app: Log in using the credentials you set up when activating the T-Mobile benefit.
  3. Navigate to account or subscription settings: Look for options to change or upgrade your plan.
  4. Select your desired upgrade: The streaming service will typically display the additional cost, which you would then authorize and pay.

Always verify the exact upgrade process and any associated costs directly with both T-Mobile and the specific streaming service to ensure you understand the financial implications.

T-Mobile logo

T-Mobile Streaming Benefits

T-Mobile’s plans offer unlimited talk, text, and even come with some free streaming services.

Get started now

Jared DiPane is the General Manager of The Streamable and a digital media veteran with over a decade of experience in consumer technology, e-commerce, and cord-cutting strategy. He oversees editorial direction, platform growth, and product testing, ensuring readers receive the most accurate, data-driven advice to optimize their home entertainment setups.

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