Pokémon GO presence was immediately felt among millions
After Pokémon GO launched on Android and iOS devices in early July, its presence was immediately felt among millions — from mothers and fathers, to young children and teens, to grandparents. T-Mobile, known for its Un-carrier moves, quickly picked up on the scent to give its customers a way to play Pokémon GO without the game tapping into their high-speed data.
“When we saw Pokémon GO take off, saw how incredibly devoted people were to the game, we saw a fantastic chance to offer customers a way to cut loose and play all they want without burning through their data,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “I love that we can do this — see a need and find a way to thank our customers by giving them more of what they love.
Legere saw Pokémon GO’s momentum building early on and knew T-Mobile had to be a part of that phenomenon. “I called our Chief Operating Officer, Mike Sievert, and said ‘I want to do something for Pokémon players, and I want to do it tomorrow’.” When Sievert asked what the idea was, Legere replied “Something awesome!”
It wasn’t long before Legere, Sievert, and the rest of the T-Mobile team were able to come up with a way for its customers to enjoy a full year’s worth of unlimited Pokémon GO data as part of the popular T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Complementary Wendy’s Frostys, Lyft rides, and movie tickets are some of the other thank you gifts customers are rewarded with to make the deal even sweeter.
“This is what T-Mobile Tuesdays is all about — thanking customers with free gifts they’re going to love,” said Legere. “And, man, do our customers love Pokémon GO!”
Legere himself has also found himself caught up in the Pokémon GO craze. As a member of Team Instinct (yellow team), he and other execs are often trying to beat each other and catch them all. Sievert, a member of Team Valor (red team), even had his office overtaken by a group of colleagues who were tracking down a nearby Dragonite — one of the most powerful Pokémon in the game.
There’s still time to take advantage of the latest T-Mobile Tuesdays offer. Those interested have until August 9 to sign up to receive a full year of unlimited data on Pokémon GO (through August 2017) and claim the other perks. For more information, check out the free T-Mobile Tuesdays app on the Google Play store or Apple’s App Store.
In the meantime, Legere hopes to one day shed yellow for magenta in Pokémon GO — a color, as many know, is better suited for his style.