Exciting news in the telecommunications industry! T-Mobile is buying Mint Mobile, the budget-friendly mobile carrier that’s partially owned by Ryan Reynolds, for up to $1.35 billion. As someone who provided social media advertising services through my company Shasta Solutions during Mint Mobile’s inception, I’m thrilled to have played a small part in their success. This acquisition is another big win for Ryan and his Maximum Effort Media team.
I only want the best for Mint Mobile customers. Think I’ve found it. pic.twitter.com/nSNmGKLmN2
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 15, 2023
T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile comes as T-Mobile looks to build out its prepaid phone offering. The deal, valued at up to $1.35 billion, involves a 39% cash and 61% stock purchase of Mint’s parent company, Ka’ena Corporation, and is expected to close later this year. The price could change, however, as it depends on Mint’s performance.
Once the deal closes, Mint founders David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim will join T-Mobile to continue managing the brand, which T-Mobile says “will generally operate as a separate business unit.” Meanwhile, Reynolds will also remain a part of Mint’s branding, as T-Mobile says he will “continue on in his creative role on behalf of Mint.”
Mint, which offers cheap prepaid plans, is a mobile network virtual operator (MVNO) that already offers service over T-Mobile’s network. Reynolds first bought an ownership stake in Mint in 2019 and has since been serving as the brand’s ambassador. By purchasing Mint, T-Mobile may be looking to claw back the customers it lost when it sold Boost Mobile to Dish as part of its merger with Sprint.
As noted by T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert in a YouTube video posted on Wednesday, T-Mobile will retain the price of Mint’s cheapest phone plan at $15 per month. The deal also includes Ka’ena’s other companies, including Ultra Mobile, a prepaid carrier that offers international calling, and Plum, a wholesale wireless solutions provider.
Sievert believes that Mint’s marketing formula will benefit more parts of T-Mobile in the long-term, resulting in more competitive and expansive offerings for customers. “We think customers are really going to win with a more competitive and expansive Mint and Ultra,” he says.
This isn’t the first acquisition by T-Mobile. T-Mobile began considering an acquisition of Mint Mobile in January, according to a report from Bloomberg. T-Mobile has bought out some of its rivals over the years, including budget carrier MetroPCS. T-Mobile announced its plans to merge with Sprint in 2018 for $26 billion, which faced heavy regulatory scrutiny before the deal was finally allowed to proceed in 2020.
Despite criticism T-Mobile faced after the merger went through, T-Mobile remains a major player in the telecommunications industry. As the telecommunications industry becomes more competitive, this acquisition is likely to have a ripple effect on the industry as a whole. Customers will have more options when it comes to choosing a prepaid phone plan, and other telecommunication companies will have to step up their game to stay competitive.
Overall, T-Mobile’s acquisition of Mint Mobile is a significant move for the company and the industry as a whole. It’s exciting to see how T-Mobile leverages Mint’s marketing formula and expands its prepaid phone offerings. This acquisition is another big win for Ryan Reynolds and the Maximum Effort Media team, and I’m proud to have played a small part in Mint Mobile’s success.
Tyler Whitlow