Ryan Reynolds now owns a stake in budget carrier Mint Mobile
Ryan Reynolds has bought into the phone biz. The Deadpool and Detective Pikachu actor has purchased an ownership stake in budget wireless carrier Mint Mobile.
By Rajeshwari Jagtap, November 26, 2019 10:01 IST
Actor Ryan Reynolds has bought an ownership stake in Mint Mobile, the low-cost carrier that theoretically saves you money by letting you purchase service in advance. It sounds like a complete mismatch when celebrities have a habit of backing junk science or designer headphones, but to Reynolds it makes sense -- it's better to promote a 'more practical approach to the most essential technology' than luxury products you don't really need.
And this isn't strictly a publicity move, either. Reynolds will help with communications and marketing, but he'll also get involved in 'strategic decision-making' at Mint. You're not likely to see Deadpool hawking service, unfortunately, but this actor will have a very real say in the future of a wireless carrier.
To some extent, this reflects the shifting cellular landscape in the US. While the top four carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Engadget parent Verizon) still tend to dominate, there's been a rush of virtual providers like Mint, Ting and Google Fi that have experimented with different business models. Reynolds' involvement gives their unconventional formulas a dash of extra credibility, even if they're not about to topple the establishment.