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With MLB’s opening day being this Thursday, T-Mobile is pitching the free MLB.TV all day service
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Wait – there’s more. Anyone – whether a T-Mobile customer or not – can sign up for a chance to win a Secret Baseball Button
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The button lets you watch baseball while at work and not risk getting caught by a random “pop-in” by your boss because a press of the button flips your PC from baseball to a different screen
T-Mobile’s public relations team rarely responds to our requests for comment when it comes to behavior that looks like the opposite of its “un-carrier” strategy. For example, when Fierce reached out about T-Mobile introducing new fees for prepaid customers, all we got was radio silence.
But when it comes to promoting services like MLB.TV, the PR team is – well, blasting it out of the park. (Sorry!)
This week, it’s the Secret Baseball Button, which reminds us of the magenta suitcase that T-Mobile used a couple years ago to plug the Coverage Beyond service. This device is a lot smaller, however, so maybe the stunt doesn’t cost as much.
Whatever. The button is a novel way to bring attention to T-Mobile’s free MLB.TV service, which provides access to Major League Baseball games all season long. Opening day is Thursday, so the timing couldn’t be better. And anyone – whether a T-Mobile customer or not – can enter a chance to win their own button until March 31.
The button uses Bluetooth to sync with a PC. The idea is that once synced, you can watch all the MLB games you want while at work because if the Big Boss sneaks up on you while you’re watching the action on the field, you can press the button and your PC screen will flip to make it look like you’re in a video meeting.
Clever, eh?
We tried it out, syncing the little T-Mobile button – which is about the size of an actual button if you’re wearing a blazer or sweater – and basically followed the instructions that came with the device. It took a matter of seconds and voila! We have ourselves a nifty little button that flips the screen between the baseball that we can’t live without to an image of a screen so that it looks like we’re in a very serious meeting with a bunch of other people. So, you know, working!
Don’t be a novice like us, however, and think that once it’s synced, you’re immediately going to get access to baseball games. That’s because 1) the chance to snag a free MLB.TV subscription starts tomorrow, March 26, and runs through April 1. It’s part of the T-Mobile Tuesdays in the T Life app. 2) The MLB season starts on Thursday, March 28 – which of course any bona fide baseball fan would know! Duh.
T-Mobile points out that the free MLB.TV subscription is a $149.99 value. Sounds like a real steal.
“And with 30 teams each playing 162 games, that’s a lot of baseball. Now, you can watch all the games you want … even at work,” T-Mobile crows on a placard accompanying the button.
T-Mobile declined to share how many people took advantage of the free MLB.TV subscription last year, but a spokesperson said customers streamed a record high of over 52 million hours of MLB.TV in 2023.
Hey boss!
T-Mobile President of Marketing, Strategy and Products Mike Katz and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert demonstrate the effectiveness of the whole button thing in this quite entertaining video. (Also, no spoilers here, but these guys show off some serious acting chops. Well done! Shout out to the woman with the zinger at the end.)
Unfortunately, we doubt our boss wants us watching baseball games when we’re supposed to be writing snappy stories about serious wireless news. But of course, there are plenty of people out there who need their baseball fix. Apparently, thousands of fans flooded T-Mobile Park on Sunday in preparation for the Seattle Mariners’ “Opening Week Warm-Up.” And we’re certainly not going to turn down some yummy salty peanuts and caramel-coated Cracker Jacks. Batter up!
Does the PR stunt work? Who cares?! It’s as cute as a button.