In a UK first, Three has today given Brits the freedom to stream TV shows and music to infinity and beyond by removing data charges from selected streaming services on its new Go Binge data plans, Any existing contract, SIM only and broadband customers will need to change to a higher price plan in order to benefit from the removal of data charges across the four services, Netflix, TVPlayer, Deezer and SoundCloud.
New customers on eligible plans will automatically have the service enabled although customers can opt-out. The service will provide all-you-can-eat (AYCE) streaming access to the so you can watch all the shows you love wherever and whenever you want.
The landmark ‘Go Binge’ service is set to unleash a wave of unbridled mobile bingeing across the country. From tomorrow new and upgrading customers will be able to enjoy their favourite films, TV shows and music on the go – including Netflix, TVPlayer, Deezer and SoundCloud, without being chained to the couch.
Go Binge is in response to the UK’s obsession with keeping up with the latest and most fashionable series’ no matter what the consequences, even if that means missing a social engagement or ‘cheat-watching’ on their partner. Three undertook an extensive period of consumer research and in-depth trend analysis to develop an unrivalled understanding of consumer’s mobile streaming behaviours.
This research has identified an explosion of binge-watching and content streaming, proving beyond all doubt that bingeing is the new normal when it comes to the nation’s viewing and listening habits.
According to the results of the research, more than one in five Brits (21%) say bingeing is now the only way they watch a TV series. Currently 22% also regularly binge content on the go clearly indicating people’s desire to watch and listen to content, especially during downtime such as when they are commuting. Three wants to give people more freedom so they can stream content as and when they wish.
Nearly 40% of the UK also admitted that they worry about streaming on the go due to the fear of using too much data. In response Three has launched Go Binge to free people from being forced to sit at home and the worry of running up huge data bills, in order to satisfy their bingeing obsession.
Dave Dyson, Chief Executive at Three, said: “We know that from our extensive insight that bingeing on content has become part of everyday life, yet people have been unable to do that on the go as much as they’d like due to fears of exceeding data limits.
“It’s my ambition to unlock any restrictions that stop consumers from enjoying their mobiles and using them to do the things they love. With Go Binge we are the first network in the UK to give people the freedom to use their data to stream their favourite shows and music without any boundaries and without worrying about restrictive data allowances and charges.”
The results of Three’s comprehensive research, named “The Binge Files”, have been compiled into an interactive report and is available to view in full now on http://www.three.co.uk/hub. Some of the key findings included in the report are:
• Could binge watching be the new mindfulness? As more than half (53%) use binge watching as a form of relaxation and to reduce stress.
• A new tribe of ‘social bingers’ has emerged from the most common types of people who binge. In fact, one in 10 feel that binge watching benefits their social life by providing topics of conversation and shared experiences between them and their social circle.
• We mourn the ending of our favourite show with nearly half of respondents (44%) saying they feel sad and at a loss when the end credits roll.
• 22% of Brits admit to using phrases and language from their favourite binge-shows.
• Employers beware! One in 10 have spent work meetings discussing latest plots or scenes of their favourite binge-shows.
To celebrate the launch of Go Binge, Three is opening a luxury retreat with a difference. In what is the polar opposite of a digital detox retreat, the Three ‘Bed n Binge Retreat’, which opens on July 5 for five days, caters entirely to watching and listening to all your favourite content. And where normal hotels accept money as payment for a stay, the only way to pay for a night at Three’s retreat is by bingeing.
At the pop-up glamping experience, based in Osterley Park, Middlesex, guests will be handed a Samsung S8 or S8+ mobile phone connected to Three and invited to stay in one of 15 luxury cabins inspired by Netflix programmes – including Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Narcos and hit new show, GLOW.
