After last week’s report that TIDAL had been seriously inflating its subscriber numbers for well over a year, it appears the beleaguered music streaming service is not going down without a fight. The Jay Z-owned platform has just announced a partnership with Sprint that will give all of Sprint’s customers access to TIDAL.
As part of the partnership, Sprint will acquire a 33 percent stake in TIDAL. Sprint has 45 million customers, giving TIDAL’s subscriber numbers a huge (if somewhat artificial) boost. Sprint will also be setting aside a dedicated fund for artists to use to create and share music with fans.
Jay Z spoke on the new partnership, explaining, “Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential.” He continued that, “together we are excited to bring Sprint’s 45 million customers an unmatched entertainment experience.”
This isn’t the first time Jay Z has partnered with a large brand to help distribute his content. His partnership with Samsung for the release of Magna Carta Holy Grail allowed the album to almost go platinum on the day of its release, until Nielsen Soundscan declared the strategy wasn't legitimate. This time around, there’s no one to declare the 45 million Sprint users aren’t regular TIDAL subscribers.
The two companies are planning additional, currently unannounced exclusive offers and promotions as part of the pairing. Is this partnership enough to get you to switch to Sprint? Or alternatively, if you have Sprint do you plan on using TIDAL now?