Arguments have been raised, criticisms have been thrown, and reasons have been given, but finally, Google's premier video streaming service, YouTube, finally agreed Thursday to partner with T-Mobile's Binge On program, which allows users to stream unlimited videos from partner sites without consuming any data, provided that the videos get converted to 480p resolution.
The relatively simple business model has received its fair share of critics since it was launched, with Google among the most vocal ones. Since YouTube's revenue relies largely on ads, Google expressed reservations about the automatic degradation of video quality through the Binge On service, which the company fears would compromise user experience on the site.
While T-Mobile's controversial service garnered critics such as Google, other video providers have been quick to accept the provider's business model. Since launching, Binge On has managed to get partnerships with Netflix, Time Warner and HBO. Despite the support it has garnered, the absence of YouTube has been notable.
While announcing its definitive partnership with Google's video streaming service, T-Mobile Chief Executive Officer John Legere stated that an agreement was finally reached after much talk and deliberation between the tech firm and the telecom giant.
"We don't just launch and leave. We listen, we learn and we improve things, and that's exactly what we did here with YouTube," he said.
YouTube isn't T-Mobile's only partner for the venture. Together with the video streaming service, Google Play Movies would also be available on T-Mobile's Binge On program. For its part, Google has stated that it finally agreed to T-Mobile's proposal after the telecom firm suitably addressed the search giant's concerns about the program.
With the changes, users of T-Mobile's Binge On plan would have the option to forego the limits of the service and stream videos in HD, including full 4k YouTube videos. Of course, if users do decide to watch videos in high resolution, their data allocation would be used up. While streaming would then not be free for users, it does restore the choice.
Apart from YouTube and Google Play Movies, T-Mobile has also added Fox Business, Red Bull TV and Discovery Go as its newest partners. With these additions, Binge On's partners now amount to more than 50.
