Ryan Reynolds is giving away phone service during the big game today
Mint Mobile's new owner will set you up with three months on the 3GB plan, no strings attached. But you need to act fast, while the game is in progress.
You can get three months on Mint Mobile's network absolutely free -- provided you sign up during the Super Bowl.
During Sunday's Super Bowl, you'll see a lot of commercials -- some good, some bad, all insanely expensive. But you won't see one for wireless carrier Mint Mobile. That's because new owner Ryan Reynolds -- yes, that Ryan Reynolds -- decided to put his money to better use. According to a full-page ad (an "announcemint") in New York Times last week, Mint will give away three months of service during the game.
The catch: This deal doesn't go live until just before kickoff (3:15 p.m. PT), and it ends when the game does.
Mint Mobile owner Ryan Reynolds peeks out from behind today's "announcemint."
To take advantage of the offer, you'll need an unlocked phone that's compatible with T-Mobile , the network used by Mint. There's no charge to port your number, nor is there any obligation to continue after your three months are up.
Why three? That's the carrier's modus operandi: It sells service in three-, six- and 12-month chunks. By paying up front instead of monthly, you end up with amortized rates that tend to be lower than you can get elsewhere.
For example, Mint's lowest-tier plan includes unlimited calls and texts and 3GB of high-speed data per month. (That's what you'll be getting as part of the giveaway, FYI.) The regular price for that is $75, which works out to $25 per month. If you pay for six months instead, it's $120 -- an amortized rate of $20 per month. And 12 months works out to $15 per month.
Mint also has 8GB and 12GB data plans; you could pay $300 and get a full year of the latter. All Mint's plans include mobile hotspot and support for Wi-Fi calling and text-messaging.
I've seen a variety of Mint Mobile promotions over the years, but I think this is the first straight-up freebie. What do you think? Will you take a few minutes during the big game to score a deal?
This article was published previously. It has been updated to reflect that the deal is imminent today.
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